


The Two Who Got Away

by BrokenUniverse



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Emotional Baggage, Happy Ending, It is a major part of the story tho, Keep in mind that, M/M, Multi-chap, Not Beta Read, Orphans, Strong Language, Their relationship isn't my main focus, This story is a slow burn, WIP, a couple of plot twists, criminals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2018-09-08 19:22:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 141,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8857741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenUniverse/pseuds/BrokenUniverse
Summary: Two best friends manage to escape from a juvenile center, which they enter because of a night gone wrong. After running away they start searching for means to hide who they really are so that they can start anew. But despite their best attempts, it just seems like faith has other plans for them entirely. Because now, they are not only chased by the police, but also by three very skilled people who had been looking for them for quite some time now.Watch as Naruto and Sasuke try to deal with each other, their seemingly new feelings, and the world around them which lately just seems to be out to get them.





	1. The Escape?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! This is a story on which I'm still working and doing my best to write properly. The idea about it was born some years ago but just a couple of months back, I started to work on it. It's the first story I've put so much time and thought into, and since I think that it's coming along nicely, I decided I should start posting it. The oneshot "The Robbery" is a short backstory to this, explaining the night which went wrong, though you can read the fic without it.  
> I really hope you enjoy it and if you do, let me know. ^^

* * *

 

The door to the small messy room was slammed shut so hard, one could hear the windows rattling. But this wasn’t the wind and neither it was the product of some stupid fairytale about ghosts. No, this was Naruto and he didn’t look happy at all with the day he’d been having so far in the Northwestern Minnesota Juvenile Center, a home for ‘ _untamed and hard to handle troublemakers’_ as the brochures so kindly put it. Troublemakers his ass. Almost every boy there, and the occasional girl, had a really valid reason to be there, including Naruto himself. The only exceptions were the spoiled, little brats who got sent here by their parents because they were rebelling and weren’t deemed good enough to take over the family business. Naruto completely despised that type. They were manipulative, self-centered, and always acted so tamed in front of the watchdogs as if that would get them out of that hell hole sooner. Naruto hated that. No one in their right mind would sell their dignity just to be freed. Or well, no one with a mind like his. And either way, he didn’t feel the need to make puppy eyes at the JDOs (Juvenile Detention Officers) because unlike the others, he didn’t plan on staying there for much longer anyway.

“Hey, Mendou, what the fuck is your problem? How many times do I have to tell you to stay in your own damn part of the room?” Naruto growled at the boy currently lying on his bed as if it were his. God, a guy couldn’t get to relax even in his own room nowadays.

Naruto knew Mendou was doing it just to piss him off so that he would punch the brunet and give him a good enough reason to complain to the JDOs. But damn, if the fucker hadn’t just picked the worst moment to mess with Naruto. His whole day had been shit so far, and to top it all off, he’d been sharing this small room for over 7 months now with an invasive, manipulative guy who never learned nor listened. Lately the blond was finding it harder and harder to refrain from punching his lights out. The only thing that stopped him so far was the knowledge that it was exactly what his roommate was aiming for.

“As if I’m ever going to listen to you, faggot.” Mendou said in an even, uncaring tone, not even looking at the blond as he continued to read his book, on _Naruto’s_ bed _._

Naruto took a small, threatening step forward, his features instantly darkening as he got closer.

“Now listen here you fucknut, you’re treading on thin ice as it is. Don’t push it if you wish to keep your limbs attached to the right places.” Naruto said in a low tone. The boy in front of him snorted dismissively at that and finally lifted his hazel eyes from his book.

“Don’t think that you are someone who can threaten me. I already know you’re all bark and no bite.” The dark haired teen said with a plastic smile on his face. After hearing these words Naruto let a very cold smirk spread over his face too and his blue eyes darkened even further as he locked them with the others’.

“I don’t just think I can. I _know_ I can. And believe me when I tell you that you are going to be very sorry for ever getting in my way.” The blond said calmly. Actually, way too calmly for a person like him. And before Mendou could say anything more, the door was thrown open with such force, the dark haired boy could feel the rush of air over his face and see Naruto’s blond strands sway. A moment later the door was slammed again, this time even harder than before.

Outside in the hallway Naruto could clearly hear something fall from a shelf somewhere inside the room. Oh how he hated this place and everyone in it.

* * *

There was a loud knock on his door and Sasuke put down his book with an irate sigh, glaring at the thin piece of wood. There was another loud knock which only made his glare intensify. Sasuke knew who was standing on the other side of that door. He also knew that this someone was now obviously in a mood to kill and he was also aware that he was irritating him further by not letting him in. But he also didn’t care. He knew that the person knocking more and more persistently on his door would never kill him so he wasn’t that worried. Naruto might be dangerous but he would never lay a finger on Sasuke. For one, because Sasuke also wasn’t someone to be messed with, and for two, the blond needed him. Probably even more than Sasuke needed him in return but that didn’t matter. They were partners and they both needed each other at the end of the day.

Sasuke waited for another moment before finally getting up and slowly approaching the door, still irritated about being interrupted while reading. He absentmindedly wondered what had made Naruto so angry this time. Although knowing him and his temper, it really could be anything.

Opening the door he got to stare in angry blue eyes. Eyes that told him their owner was ready to behead the first thing with a sign of a pulse that happened to cross his line of vision.

With a roll of his eyes the raven went back to his bed and sat down, picking up his book once more. He heard Naruto come in and close the door after himself a little too hard for the raven’s liking so he just arched a fine eyebrow at his guest, his eyes narrowing further.

“We’ll get a little delayed tonight,” Naruto said darkly and with another sigh Sasuke put down his book once more, obviously realizing he wouldn’t get the chance to read much with the blond in his room. The arched eyebrow now went even higher, demanding elaboration. And of course, that was all Naruto needed to start talking.

“That stupid fuck, Mendou! He's going to have to pay for ever crossing paths with me. I’ve already decided what we’ll do to him. Just set your alarm for fifteen minutes earlier than planned,”

“You know we shouldn’t waste our time with pointless stuff like that, moron,” Sasuke said calmly while giving Naruto a pointed look.

“We wouldn’t be wasting that much time. Ten minutes is all. C’mon Sasuke, you know he deserves it,” Naruto told him, finally taking a seat next to him on the small bed.

“If you ask me everyone here deserves a good beating but you don’t see me trying to ruin our plans because of it,” Now it was Naruto’s turn to roll his eyes.

“Fine then, don’t help me. I’ll do it on my own. Just thought it would be easier and way faster if we did it together,” He said, turning his head childishly to the other side. Oh, Sasuke could practically feel the pout at this point.

“And risk you fucking everything up? I don’t think so. Just give it a rest, you won’t see that fucker ever again anyway,”

“That’s not the point and you know it,” Naruto told him heatedly. “I want him to remember what a bad idea it was to even try and cross me.” He added darkly.

“Fine then, do whatever you want, I don’t care. Just be out of your room at one thirty sharp. I don’t want to be here even a minute longer than absolutely necessary,” And with that Sasuke picked up his book again, showing he was done with the conversation. He scowled as he had to search through the page for the sentence he had last read. He didn’t have time for Naruto’s anger issues. His nerves were pulled to the max at the moment courtesy of the adrenaline caused by the anticipation. And besides, Sasuke knew what a headache it was to try and change the blond’s mind when he was PMS-ing like that. He just had to hope Naruto wouldn’t fuck anything up while he was at it.

* * *

Darkness soon engulfed the city and with it, the juvenile center too. It was already ten thirty and all of the teens were in their beds, the last JDO had just passed through the hallway and everything was quiet and dark. The lights had been already turned off and a blanked of silence had settled in the center thanks to which every sound, step or breath sounded so much louder. But the silence was also a good thing. It meant that almost everyone was either asleep or getting there.

The night was warm so the windows were mostly open, letting in waves of the cool night breeze and the quiet sounds of the night. The occasional car passing, the chirping of the night birds and even the sound of the crickets were also a nice cover for what two of the teens in the center were about to do tonight.

Not long after everyone had finally fallen asleep, at exactly one fifteen, there were two sets of beeping that could be barely heard from the rooms in the opposite ends of the hallway. Then, at exactly one sixteen, a shadow could be seen moving down the long hallway.

Naruto had thrown the covers off of himself the moment he had heard the almost silent alarm of his watch go off. Turning it off, he dragged a backpack from underneath his bed and shuffled through it as quietly as he could until he pulled out a reel of thin, almost invisible wire.

Very slowly he crept towards the one still occupied bed in the room and just when he was about to start, there was a soft knock on the door frame from outside, telling him that it was Sasuke, because seriously, who else would be cautious enough to knock on a _door frame_ of all things just so it could be more quiet? He grinned mischievously and went to open it. His grin widened further when he saw his partner in crime staring at him with clear annoyance from the other side. Ah, nothing could lift Naruto's spirits more than seeing Sasuke annoyed.

Without waiting to be invited, the raven dropped his own bag next to the door and walked in. The blond motioned for him to grab Mendou’s hand and move it up so Naruto could tie his wrist to the headboard. Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's plan of revenge but did what the blond motioned him to anyway. They did the same with his other hand and both of his ankles. Then Naruto grabbed a dirty cloth and put it over the sleeping boy’s eyes, tying it above his temple with Sasuke’s help. And to put icing on the cake, Naruto poured some water on the bed so it would look like Mendou had pissed himself when they found him eventually.

Doing this had put him in a significantly better mood. Ever since he was put in that room, Mendou had tried to do whatever he could to make him leave it. Of course, Naruto wasn’t one to ever back down from a battle, and whenever his roommate did something nasty to him, he just retaliated with something even nastier. At one point things had escalated and they had gotten into a fight. Thankfully, that had happened in the living room with enough witnesses to confirm Mendou had been the one to throw the first punch, so he was the one who had gotten suspended. After that the brunet had been going to some great lengths to try and provoke Naruto, so he would hit him first. But thankfully, as hotheaded as the blond could be, the knowledge of what Mendou was doing helped him to not gave in to the temptation.

Looking around the room, Naruto wondered what else he could do, but one glance at Sasuke told him not to push it. Not that he was afraid of the raven or anything, but he decided it wasn’t worth the bitching afterwards. He had probably done enough anyways.

Rolling his eyes at Sasuke just for good measure, Naruto grabbed his bag again and put it on his shoulder, watching as his partner did the same. They both exited the room and prepared for the first step of their plan for escape.

“So, you actually decided to help me out in the end, huh?” Naruto whispered with a playful smirk and an arched eyebrow.

“The chances of you fucking up were too high,” Sasuke whispered back, not even looking at him. Naruto didn’t need the light of the day to know his friend was scowling. Without any further delay, the raven pulled out his own reel of metal wire and went back to the other end of the hall, making Naruto roll his eyes once more at the response. As if.

They had managed to sneak out all of their supplies from the pantries near the kitchen. Two months ago a new cleaning lady was hired and she somehow always forgot to lock the closets. Not that they were complaining. If anything, they were actually thankful. 

The two began connecting with the wire the handles of the doors which were on the left side of the hallway to the doorhandles opposite of them, making it almost impossible for anyone to leave their rooms, seeing as the doors opened inwardly. The boys met in the middle of the hallway in front of the huge staircase, and with a nod to each other, they both began the descent down, slowly, step by step, making the same maze of wire over the staircase by passing the reels to each other and wrapping the wire around the railings on either side of the stairs.

Once satisfied with their work, they cut the wire with a pair of big scissors, sponsored again by the same cleaning lady, tied the ends in a secure knot, and moved on to the little hallway on their immediate right where the watchdogs resided. There they proceeded to do the same with the doors of the five rooms. They wanted to create as much commotion in the morning as possible and delay the discovery of them missing enough for them to be far away when it happened.

Knotting the wire in the end and cutting it, they backed up to the wall, keeping themselves in the protection of the shadows as much as possible. They slowly began moving towards the front entrance of the building where the cabin of the nigh guard was. They had to look for every and each of their steps because there were some parts where the floorboards creaked and in the quiet of the night it would be impossible for the guard to miss it. It took them less then a minute to cross the foyer, keeping themselves pressed up on one of the walls. In two careful, big strides from the wall, they were both at the back of the cabin, crouching down so that the guard from within wouldn’t see them.

Of course, the guard there couldn’t see them even if he tried. The light in the cabin was on which meant that the windows were acting more like an one-sided mirror than anything else and the fat man inside was so engrossed in the book propped up on his huge belly that they needed to be really obvious to be noticed. Still, it was better safe than sorry.

The second step of their plan was to create a diversion for the guard so they could sneak in the cabin and steal the keys for the basement and the hallway which was strictly forbidden for all of the teens. They knew for a fact that the side entrance of the center was located on the other end of that forbidden hallway.

Sasuke moved forward, still in a crouch, and pulled out from his pocket a bouncing rubber ball he had found in the yard on one of the rare occasions he was allowed outside. With a precise aim he threw it towards the hallway that led to the kitchens and dining hall in such a way, that the bouncing sounded like footsteps. He knew it was a far stretch, but he had always been good at calculating stuff and apparently the guard had bought it, because not two seconds later he was on his feet with a flashlight in hand. It was also a good thing that once in that little hallway, you couldn’t see the small cabin. Sasuke moved back so he would be out of sight when the man exited, watching how the ray of light trembled a little.

 _‘That will teach him to not read horror books at night shifts,’_  He thought with a smirk. _'That is if he manages to keep his job after tonight.'_

The moment the guard was far enough Sasuke bolted from his crouching place and went inside, immediately locating the set of keys he needed. They just had to hope the fat guy wouldn’t notice them missing. Then, as the raven looked around, a devious smirk spread over his features and in a flash his hands were deep in the pockets of the little bag hanging on the wall. He pulled out a wallet, a lighter, one pack of cigarettes and another set of keys which he quickly stuffed in his pockets. And he managed to do it all perfectly in time because just after he was done, he heard a quiet knock on the wall of the cabin, a clear sign from Naruto that the guard was coming back.

As fast as he had gotten in, the raven ran out and together with the blond they went around the corner, hiding in the little dark hallway leading to the basement. Really, the layout of the building was made as if they _wanted_ them to escape. It was all just too convenient.

They were waiting to hear the guard going back inside his cabin, just to be sure that he wouldn’t be investigating any further. In the meantime, the raven showed Naruto the car keys and wallet he had stolen and watched as a huge and devious grin appeared on his partner’s face.

And with that, at one fifty-two, they were ready with the second step. It was time for part three.

When they heard the small chair creak under the man’s weight, they began making their way towards the basement door as quietly as they could, considering that they weren’t that far away from the guard. Pulling out the keys, Sasuke held them tight in his hands so they wouldn’t make any sound from the motion. Naruto pulled out a flashlight and directed it over Sasuke’s palm so they could see properly the labels. When they found the one they needed, the raven put it slowly in the keyhole. He pressed his shoulder and knee to the door while turning the key, preventing the lock from making any sound while being unlocked. Then, after successfully unlocking the door, he twisted the key once more so the door would open without them needing to use the handle. It was basically the oldest trick in the book but it still worked.

Naruto grabbed the edge of the door to keep it in place while Sasuke pulled out the key just as slowly. After the whole set of them was put away soundlessly in Sasuke’s bag, Naruto turned off his flashlight and tucked it in the side pocket of his backpack. He took a deep breath and prayed to whatever god was listening that the door wouldn’t creak.

He pulled it sharply while trying his best to push it upwards, although in the end it still creaked a little. They both tensed and held their breaths, trying their best to hear if there was any movement coming from the guard. Seconds passed and they heard nothing so they slowly let their breaths out and quickly went inside, pulling the door enough that it would look closed if nobody gave it any special attention.

Naruto closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh of relief. It was short lived tough, because the next second the lights in there were turned on, almost gaving him a heart attack because of the thought that they had been caught. He turned sharply and saw Sasuke’s hand on the switch. After sending a quick glare aimed at Sasuke's amused expression, Naruto quickly gathered himself and began to descent down the concrete stairs, looking carefully around. He was trying his best to keep his steps silent while looking for the electricity panel that he just knew had to be down there somewhere.

The place looked like a dumpster if he had to be honest. You could find all kinds of garbage here. Some things could be probably deemed useful, but there were also those things like the old refrigerator and the broken chairs that couldn’t pass for anything else but trash. And it sure smelled like a trashcan down there too. Making a grimace at the smell of mold and dust, the blond finally got to the bottom of the stairs. He quickly went around them, searching the walls for what he needed while Sasuke went to cover the other half of the cold, humid room.

“Hey, I think I found something,” Sasuke whispered harshly a minute later from behind one of the many shelves. Following his friend's voice, Naruto finally found him. Sasuke took a step back so the blond could inspect the panel. Yup, definitely the one they needed. And besides, how many of those could there be down there for them to get confused? 

Before Naruto could even open his mouth, Sasuke shoved the screwdriver in his hand. With a shake of his head and a smirk, he began unscrewing one by one the little rusty bolts in the four corners.

After a good minute or so, the panel was finally taken off, revealing many little plugs with many different cables in many different colors, but there was one thing that stood out. A huge handle which Naruto figured had to be what they were searching for.

“Did you prepare your flashlight?” He asked as he closed his hand over the handle. He heard that non-committal sound of Sasuke’s and took it as a yes. And just like that, he pulled the handle down, stopping the electricity in the whole building and with that every working security system it had.

With a satisfied smirk, Naruto pulled out his own flashlight again and together with Sasuke they made their way back towards the staircase. When they were once again up, Naruto pointed the light to his watch and noted that it was exactly two a.m. They were moving along perfectly. In another twenty minutes they had to be out and about.

When the flashlights were turned off again, Sasuke opened the door just enough so they would be able to get out. He waited until Naruto had closed it as much as possible and they began moving. When they reached the corner, they crouched down again and began making their way around the cabin of the night guard. It was moments like these which made them really appreciate the luxury of carpets.

They couldn’t hear any movement coming from the man inside, but they still took no chances, continuing to move on all fours until they were in an entirely different hallway and also entirely out of sight. They were finally in the hallway that was separating them from their freedom with huge double doors made of matted glass. That wasbthe final step of their plan of escape, get to the other side. Naruto was finding it harder and harder to keep his happiness at bay because once they passed these doors, there was no way they could ever be stopped from escaping.

He turned on his flashlight again and with Sasuke they went through the same procedure like in front of the basement. Just a minute later they were on the other side of the doors, locking them behind themselves and finally ensuring themselves freedom. Really, seven months were just way too much time spent in this hell hole. Not that they were lazing around. They spent one or two weeks acting all good an innocent and then for about a month they studied the building, even going as far as making blueprints, just in case. Then the next two months or so were spent acquainting themselves with the staff, and to be more exact, the guards. They had to know who of them was a heavy sleeper, who even slept at work and if there were any with hearing problems. After a while they figured out the system they used for the shifts and picked a night with the most convenient for them guard. A fat man in his late fifites who looked like he couldn't even hurt a fly despite having to keep watch over more than sixty underage criminals. 

Then the two had to think of a suitable plan of action and after that was done too, they realized that they would also need some supplies. And oh how convenient it was for this new cleaning lady to leave the pantries unlocked all the time. Of course, they couldn’t just take what they needed all in one go, they had to do it in little portions so it wouldn’t be obvious. The thing with the wire was actually something neither of them had originally planned. One night the previous week Sasuke had just taken it from the closet and then they decided that a good distraction in the morning after their escape wouldn’t be a bad thing.

And after so much time and work, the night had finally arrived and Naruto could hardly contain his excitement. They both began to make their way towards one of the doors in the hallway, thankful once again for the carpeted floor. There were a couple of doors on their left and the blond turned his flashlight on to inspect them. The first was the secretary's, the second office was the one the vise-headmaster used and the third and last one belonged to the headmistress.

“Hey Sasuke, do we have keys for the headmistress’ offices?” Naruto suddenly asked, seemingly only out of curiosity. 

“Probably. Why?” Sasuke whispered back. He technically knew why, but he wasn’t so sure what they could take from there.

The raven stopped in front of the secretary’s office, pulling the keys from his pocket and searching for the right one. He noted that yes, surprisingly, they had keys for the other offices here too.

“I just thought we could smuggle something out of there too. You know the headmistress is hardly ever seen without a cigarette and more often than not she reeks of alcohol,” Naruto answered.

“What time is it?”

Naruto glanced at his watch briefly.

“Seven past two. We’re moving fine. Come on, one stop won’t hurt us. Besides, the doors to the hallway are locked and I doubt anyone else has keys except for us right now,” Naruto had a good point, so really why not take the benefit while they could?

“Fine, but if we get out even a minute later then two thirty, I’m driving,” Sasuke announced.

“Tch, fine. Bastard,” Naruto muttered quietly at the end. He knew that his friend had heard him and just chose to ignore him for the sake of what they were doing.

Once the door to the secretary’s office was closed behind them, they got to work. Naruto went for the cabinets on one of the walls and began rummaging through them, holding the flashlight between his teeth and searching for their files while Sasuke was picking the lock on the cabinets of the desk. It had taken them a while to find out where these kinds of things were kept. It was a good thing Naruto had overheard a conversation between the secretary and the vise-headmaster who was asking for the file of one of the teens here. Not many would have guessed, but Naruto was actually pretty good at spying on people and 'accidentally' overhearing important stuff. It was probably because of his ability to look so innocent all of the time which made people think he was dumb enough to not understand what he was hearing. 

“Found them!” Naruto said happily, quickly stuffing his and Sasuke’s files in his backpack. It would be wise to leave the center with as little information about them as possible.

While Sasuke was still working on the lock of the cabinet, Naruto moved towards the desk and turned the computer on. He was pretty sure they had digital copies of everyone's files on it too in case something happened to the paper ones, and while they could be probably recovered once he deleted them, every hour before the police was sent after them was crucial to the two teens. 

Not a minute later the raven had already opened the cabinets and was quickly shuffling through their contents until he found a cardboard box at the back of one of them.

“Bingo,” Sasuke muttered as he pulled the box and lifted its’ lid. Inside were stacked every ID and driving license belonging to the teens sent here. Or well, at least the documents belonging to the orphans who surprisingly, were actually most of the kids. Doing a quick work of finding theirs, Sasuke closed the box again and pushed it back in the cabinet. He got up and took a look at the screen.

A password was needed of course and Naruto’s eyebrows furrowed in thought. It was an office computer so he doubted it was anything too personal in case someone else needed to use it except for the secretary. That said, he typed in the name of the center, but just a second later it got obvious this wasn’t it. He tried with the date it was founded and also with the secretary's name but to no avail. Then, deciding that the most obvious password was the last someone would think of, Naruto typed in the numbers from zero to nine and almost laughed when the locked screen changed to the desktop.

After barely a minute, their files were deleted from all systems and the computer was turned off again.

The blond grinned at his smirking friend and, nodding at each other, they exited the office and locked it behind themselves. Not that it wouldn’t be discovered that they had been in there at some point, but it was better to prolong it as much as possible.

Naruto stopped in front of the headmistress’s office and smiled brightly at Sasuke who just rolled his eyes and went to unlock it. He didn’t even know why they would put a key to that office with the others but he wasn’t going to complain about it. He was actually a little glad that everyone here seemed to be so confident that no one could escape. Probably no one had ever tried before or maybe no one had ever succeeded, although now, from their point of view, when they were almost out fo the center, that seemed unlikely. Either way, it was a good thing people tended to underestimate them. Otherwise they wouldn’t have subconsciously made the pair’s escape as easy as it was.

Naruto didn’t even wait until the door was fully open before he ran inside, towards the desk where he was sure he would find all of the good stuff. The office was pretty identical to the secretary’s except for the huge painting of the headmistress herself on the wall to his right. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the self-absorbance of it while he did a quick job of picking the lock with a pair of hair clips. Good thing girls tended to lose those things so much. Naruto’s smile almost split his face in two when he heard the cabinet unlock. He opened it and almost immediately pulled out two whole cartons of cigarettes and smugly showed them to Sasuke who stood rather unimpressed by the door.

“I left the half finished one there. A small show of gratitude for making our work so easy,” The blond said with a smile while closing the cabinet again. He managed to stuff the smokes in his backpack, a little disappointed that he hadn't found any alcohol, but he just shrugged it off and got up again.  

A moment later they were once again in the hallway and this time they were going straight for the big metal doors at the end of it. Naruto could feel his heartbeat pick up. He could almost taste the freedom now. He felt like he could already smell the night air outside and was sure he almost heard the sounds of the night combined with that of the engine of the car as they drove down the road and out of the city...

Sasuke licked his lips as they stopped in front of the doors separating them from the outside world. He pushed his hand in his pocket to pull out once again, and hopefully for the last time, a certain set of keys.

Naruto assisted him again, pointing the ray of light towards his friend’s palm so he could find the right key. They were so close that every second in which they were still in the center almost hurt. 

A couple of seconds passed while Sasuke was flipping through the keys, then at one point he stopped and let a deep frown appear between his brows. He went through all of the keys once again, this time more slowly, carefully reading the labels on each and every one,  and still he couldn’t see the one for the doors in front of them. What the hell? It had to be there... right?

The raven then sighed and his frown deepened as he closed his palm in a tight fist around the keys, seemingly not caring that they were bruising his palm. He let his fist fall down beside him, head tilted down and his eyes had narrowed into a cold and dark glare aimed at the lock of the door, which as it seemed,  would be stubbornly staying like that. Before Naruto had time to question him though, Sasuke said something that managed to make the blond’s heart stop for a second before beginning to beat twice as fast.

“Naruto… we don’t have a key for these doors,” Sasuke announced through clenched teeth.

 


	2. Escape!

**A/N:** Well won't you look at that, I'm updating earlier! The chapter was proof-read just a couple of thousand times and finally I deemed it ready.These holidays have been one hell of an emotional roller coaster for me so that's why it probably took me so long to get the chapter right and the way I want it to be. But either way, I'll keep posting in two weeks interval because I want to keep my head-start for now. Once the story is all finished, I'll probably start posting one chapter a week.  
So without further ado, enjoy and give me your thoughts!

* * *

 

 _“Naruto… we don’t have a key for these doors,”_ _Sasuke announced through clenched teeth._

“What?” Naruto almost shouted, his eyes widening when the raven's word finally sunk in. He grabbed Sasuke’s hand by the wrist and took the keys, going through them much like his partner had done just mere seconds ago. And Sasuke let him. He didn't expect his friend to find the key but he was welcome to try if he wanted to do it so much.

A deep frown appeared on Naruto’s face. Eyes wide and almost glazed, he backed up to the wall and let his head fall back until it thumped on the hard surface. Staring at the ceiling, he sighed in frustration and slid down the wall until he was sitting on the carpeted floor, the keys almost bruising the inside of his palm what with the way he was clutching them in anger and disbelief. He let out something akin to a growl when the weight of their situation finally settled in and he began looking around the hallway, helplessly searching for something which might help them.

“So, what now? We just go back? Pfft, like that is ever going to happen. There’s gotta be something we're missing…” The last part almost sounded like a whine. Sasuke didn’t answer. He didn’t plan on going back either, not after they had gone through to get there. He just had to keep his head cool and clear so he could think of something, of another way out. “Maybe the key has just fallen off or something. Check your pocket, it might be still in there somewhere…” Sasuke tried to tune the blond out. If only Naruto would shut up and let him think for a minute, that would be great.

Taking a deep, calming breath, the raven pictured the building inside of his head, starting with the blueprints they had made. He pictured the part where they were in now. Maybe they have gone in the wrong hallway, but then again, the offices they were supposed to find were there. He tried remembering if there were any other keys in the guard’s cabin, but he didn’t think so. Maybe the key they needed was in the guard himself this whole time, who knew? But if he wasn’t sure if there were other keys in the cabin or not, going back was too much of a risk. And besides, they didn’t have anything to make a diversion for the guard a second time, so going back would make them no good at all. Even if, by some slim chance, the key was there, they'll have no way of getting it unless the guard was asleep and even then it would be a bit of a stretch. 

In the end, there were too many what ifs for them to be successful if they decided to go back and check.

Sasuke realized he couldn’t think of a solution. All of the keys they had were just pointless now.  Like, they didn’t even know the building had an attic, but who cares, they couldn’t use it now anyway. Had they jinxed themselves? All of the time they couldn’t stop thinking about how easy it all was and here they were now, realizing that it never was as easy as someone might think. Now their freedom was slipping away from them. Like someone had opened a window in front of them, letting them see the world outside and showing them they had a chance to get away from the center, but then that window was closed just as fast. What were they supposed to… _'_

 _Wait! Of course! Why are we so retarded?!'_ Sasuke thought to himself with a shake of his head.

All of his frustration went away in the span of a single second, replaced by a wave of relief. A smirk spread over his features and he went over to Naruto to grab the keys that were now hanging loosely from one of his fingers, making the blond stop his rant mid-sentence and look up quizzically towards the raven. Without a word, Sasuke made his way back towards the headmistress’s office. In the mean time the blond got up to his feet and followed him, albeit a little uncertainly, looking at the Uchiha as if he had suddenly lost his mind.

Just before Sasuke could put the key in the lock, he turned to look at Naruto with that same smirk of triumph still on his face. He almost rolled his eyes at the questioning look he was receiving from those blue eyes.

“Naruto, what do we do when the doors are off limits? Think! We’ve been doing this for years!” Sasuke said as he pushed the key in the lock. He saw Naruto's eyes suddenly widen as a light bulb was tuned on in his head, lightening his features up. But then just as suddenly, the blond frowned again.

“Sasuke, I thought of a window too. I even said it, didn’t you hear me? And besides, all of the windows in this fucking building have bars,” Naruto said slowly as if Sasuke was dumb. Of course he had thought of using a window. Did Sasuke think he was some sort of an amateur?

“You idiot, why would there be bars in the headmistress’s office? It’s not like she’ll be trying to escape this damn place, and even if she did, I doubt she’ll be using such means. And besides, these offices were made to be so off limits for us that I’m willing to bet anything that things like bars on the windows was the last thing to cross their minds,” Sasuke explained and then pushed the door open. He turned away from his partner and with satisfaction noted that indeed there were no bars on the windows there.

Naruto walked into the office for a second time that night, staring at the windows as if in awe. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it that way.

“Sasuke, you are an asshole," He began evenly. "But at least you’re a damn smart one,” Naruto finished with a grin, finally pealing his eyes away from the windows to look at Sasuke, excitement lighting up his blue eyes.

The raven just scoffed from behind him with a shake of his head.

“Hn, don't act so surprised, idiot,” He walked past the blond, across the room, and grabbed the handle of the window. With a single twist of his wrist, he successfully opened it, finally ensuring them the escape they had been planning for so long.

Sasuke heard the blond get closer until they were standing in front of the window side by side, staring out into the night together. The night breeze seeped in through it, ruffling their hairs and bringing the smell of the city with itself. It was a smell of freshness, of something new and exciting. It was the smell of freedom. The stars were blinking lazily around the sky as if inviting them out and the moon was full, illuminating the night and helping them see everything, from the stray cat walking graciously alongside the fence, to the small bird flying through the air occasionally. Even the slight sway of the grass blades down below wasn’t left unnoticed. They could hear a dog barking somewhere in the distance and the crickets from below them were louder than ever, as if congratulating them on their success.

They took a deep breath each and savored the moment as much as they could. Then, not a second later, two overflowing backpacks were thrown from the window, landing silently in the grass below. Even from the first floor it was a long way down so it was better to get rid of all the extra weight before doing anything rash.

Sasuke jumped first, barely missing their bags when he got to the ground. He then moved them from the way for Naruto. The blond took one last glance at the office behind him and got up on the ledge of the window. With a pleased smirk plastered on his face, he jumped down and swiftly landed in the back yard. Then, grabbing his bag, he grinned at Sasuke and they both made their way towards the ten-feet high, metal fence. To them that was child’s play, so just a couple of seconds later they were both on the other side of it, finally and officially out of this place, hopefully for good.

Sasuke reached in his pocket and pulled out the stolen car keys. He turned off the alarm and then clicked the unlock button. Glancing around, he found an old, black pickup. It wasn’t anything flashy and it was just that which made it perfect for people who were trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. He opened the back door and threw his backpack on the seat there. Turning to look at Naruto and what was taking him so long, he found him staring at the tall building that had been their prison for a very long time now. It looked like the blond was studying it, as if trying to memorize it completely.

 _‘Yes’,_ Naruto decided _, ‘I will totally not miss this place, ever,'_

The blond then turned to face Sasuke with a lazy grin on his face and walked slowly towards him, only stopping when he was mare inches away from the raven’s face, successfully invading Sasuke’s six feet radius of personal space. Naruto then proceeded to watch him smugly, as if he knew something his partner didn’t, and frankly, Sasuke was getting a little nervous. Nothing good ever came out when Naruto got that look on his face.

So the raven frowned, staring at his partner warily, while the blond threw his backpack in the car too, not once braking eye contact. After he had shut the back door, Naruto began to slowly lean closer, making Sasuke lean backwards, now even more wary of the look in those blue eyes. But the raven was practically cornered, his back up against the side of the car. Naruto was still leaning down further, until his lips were barely a breath away from Sasuke’s ear, causing goosebumps to rise on the pale skin of his neck and back.

Just when Sasuke opened his mouth to ask him what the hell the idiot thought he was doing, Naruto beat him to it.

“It’s two twenty-eight,” He said quietly and then laughed as he leaned back and took a look at his friend's expression. He soon winced though, because Sasuke had hit hard his shoulder and stomped away from him, going around the car to get to the passenger seat.

Not that Sasuke wasn’t used until now to Naruto invading his personal space every chance he got. Actually, so far, the blond was the only one who got away with it without getting a fist to the stomach and a knee to the balls. But violent or not, Sasuke still hated feeling cornered like that whenever Naruto decided to get so close. And he didn’t know if Naruto knew, but the blond was sometimes acting like a total flirt and was way more suggestive than he probably intended to be. If he intended anything at all that is, considering how clueless he could be at times. And that was what made it all the more frustrating because when he was acting that way, it always caught Sasuke off guard. And in the end, he couldn't really say anything because he realized that probably he was the one acting strange about it. He knew that Naruto was a naturally physical person and although that irritated him at times, he realized he was the one who was having the problems with human contact.

That said, Sasuke couldn't do anything else at the moment except to scowl.

Still chuckling, and with a shake of his head, Naruto walked towards the driver’s door. He opened it, ready to get in, but stopped once he noticed Sasuke scowling from the other side of the car.

“Hey, you okay?” He asked, his amusement finally subsiding, and he looked curiously at his best friend.

“You wanted to drive, right? There,” Sasuke said evenly, not so subtly evading the question. He threw the keys over the hood of the car and Naruto caught them with ease just like he had also caught the hint to drop whatever questions he might have about Sasuke's sudden change of mood. He wasn’t sure what had suddenly brought down Sasuke's spirits, but really, with the Uchiha it could be anything. And besides, he was sure there were better times and places to find out. Sasuke’s mood swings were hardly anything new to him so he refused to let the raven ruin his good moods too. At least one of them had to stay optimistic, right?

The blond sat down in the car and quickly started the engine, enjoying the sound of it and how it vibrated underneath him. Yes, definitely felt like freedom.

Suddenly there was something thrown in his lap and Naruto was happy to find out it was a pack of cigarettes. There was a click from beside him and then the smoke assaulted his nose. Soon the lighter followed the pack in his lap, and he turned to look at his friend, watching him exhale the smoke through the now open window.

Naruto smirked, lit himself a cigarette too and inhaled deeply. He had forgotten how good it felt to have nicotine in his system. He could feel it surge through him, calming his every nerve ending and muscle, until he exhaled and then turned to look at Sasuke again.

“You ready to finally get away from here, baby?” He saw Sasuke’s eyebrow twitch at the name and with a laugh, Naruto stepped on the gas, pulling the car out on the street and finally getting further away from the juvenile center.

“I’ve been ready to leave the moment I was dumped here. And also, call me that one more time and I promise you that you would never, for the rest of your life, take a piss like a normal guy,” Sasuke finished calmly which only enforced the threat. He took another drag of his smoke while glaring at Naruto from the corner of his eye. Sadly, Naruto never took his threats to heart.

“Gee, bastard, what crawled up your ass and died there this time around?”

* * *

At around four in the morning they had changed behind the wheel. Sasuke had taken a nap as soon as the adrenaline caused by their escape had worn off. It wasn’t in one of the most comfortable places or positions, but it sure was one of the most refreshing naps he had had for a long while. In a way, waking up an hour later and realizing he was in a moving car, the windows rolled down just barely, allowing the wind to caress his face as he was getting further and further away from that god forsaken place, had put him in a good mood.

After waking up enough to sit straight in his seat, Sasuke had noticed the way Naruto had kept yawning and in a while made him stop the car. Naruto of course, being who he was as a person, had tried to convince him that he was fine and could probably go on for hours still, telling the raven to go back to sleep or something, but Sasuke wasn’t buying it. He didn’t feel like dying a mere hour after getting free because Naruto had fallen asleep behind the wheel.

As it turned out, Naruto wasn’t as reluctant to change seats as he wanted to appear. Not five minutes after Sasuke had taken the wheel, the blond was sound asleep next to him and the raven was left alone with his own thoughts. It was nice that it was still so early in the morning and the highway they were currently on was mostly empty. The night air rolling in through the windows was fresh and did a nice work of helping Sasuke clear his head, if only barely.

Now that they had gotten away, they had to think for so many other things all at once. For starters, they had to think of a way to change the car they were currently in because no doubt very soon it would be reported as missing. Maybe at some point they could ditch it somewhere and take a bus to wherever or maybe use some contacts and change the registration. But of course, even before thinking about what to do with the car, they had to think about money. Yes, they had stolen the guard’s wallet, but that didn’t mean they had all that much. They used to have some savings before but everything was taken away from them when they were caught and thrown in the juvenile center. Now they were starting from scratch again and Sasuke frowned at the idea. Also, now they had to be even more careful than usual with whatever they did and wherever they went, because just a couple of hours later, no doubt a search party would be sent for them which wasn’t something that sat too well with either of them.

Of course they were used to doing whatever they could whenever it was necessary. They had always been on their own and ever since they had met each other, they had been the only person the other could completely trust. They had been friends for as long as Sasuke could remember. Neither of them had much memories from the foster care facility where they had met, but Sasuke still remembered quite vividly how it had all started. He didn’t even remember his parents and didn’t know why he was left there, same went for Naruto. They were both unwanted as it seemed. Or just extremely lucky to not remember, because there was always the possibility that their parents were no longer alive. But either way, Sasuke didn’t care. No matter if he wanted to or not, Naruto was the closest thing to a family he had ever had, and it had been that way for all of his life. Ever since that day…

* * *

S _asuke had woken up with a start when a whole glass of cold water was dumped over his head. He couldn't for the life of him understand why these boys always did such mean things to him. Most often than not they woke him up like that. Then at lunch they would usually either put something disgusting in his food or pull his chair from underneath him, or sometimes even put food inside his shirt. When they were taken out to play on the days with good weather, these boys would always push his head down in the dirt and sometimes kick him and hit him until he couldn’t help it but cry. Sasuke just couldn't understand why they did that._

_He had tried a couple of times to tell on them to the women that were supposed to be taking care of him and the other kids, but they always told him off, telling him that obviously the bullies were just playing and that he shouldn't be acting like a baby. They never noticed his cuts and bruises and always seemed to have to do something more important than deal with him. The truth was, they just didn’t care and it was a while later when Sasuke finally realized that._

_At the time though, Sasuke had learned to just take it. He had given up on going to the caretakers. Of course, after a while, he had also learned a thing or two about self-defense, but still, he was only four and was easily overpowered. And besides, most of the time these boys were older and in a group, so he was practically helpless when there were so many of them._

_At least he always had his favorite toy which stayed by his side every night and protected him from the monsters in the dark. That toy never made fun of him or caused him any pain. It never called him weak when he cried at night, clutching it to his chest. No, the toy was his only friend there, even if there were dozens of kids around him._

_So on that faithful day, after getting awoken by the cold water, Sasuke had been left without breakfast because they had let him oversleep. At least that had gotten him thirty minutes of peace to change and find a place to hide before the others were led outside to play. He didn’t look forward at all to another day spent being kicked and pushed around in the mud._

_After getting some dry clothes on, Sasuke had grabbed with one hand Tachi, the little black raven with the red eyes, and had quickly ran off towards a part of the building where he never saw any of the other kids. He had found a secret door a while ago, which apparently led into the front yard, and since the kids were only allowed to play in the back yard, he sometimes escaped there with Tachi and hid for a little while until it was time for lunch. Then, if he was lucky, he could go there again after that without anyone’s knowledge._

_That day had been sunny and warm so Sasuke had been sitting peacefully in his hiding spot, discussing some serious matters with Tachi, like how when he grew up bigger and stronger he was going to call the cops on these boys. At one point though, he had heard a car door slam shut, some screaming and crying and then a strong slap echo around the front yard._ _Ceasing all conversation with his friend, Sasuke had crawled through the grass around the building, curious to take a look at what was happening. There was a car parked outside of the yard and a big, scary-looking man was gripping a small boy around Sasuke’s age by the wrist. The boy was squirming and trying to pull his hand free but it was to no avail. Then the men had stopped and gripped the little hand tighter, growling something in the little boy’s direction that Sasuke couldn’t quite make out but he was clearly able to see the tears streaming down from the boy’s big, blue eyes._

_As the pair got closer Sasuke went back in hiding from fear of getting noticed, and as soon as possible, he had ran back in the building and to the bedrooms._

_After a little while he was called for lunch, and for the first time in many days, Sasuke had managed to eat something without being bullied that much. But to his horror, he couldn’t sneak out again and was forced to go in the backyard with the other kids._ _He had tried his best to avoid his bullies as much as he could, but in the end, they had still found him._

_“Hey, what’s that?” One of them pointed at Tachi._

_“Seems like he not only looks like a girl, but also plays with dolls like one too,” Another boy laughed._

_The raven boy clutched the toy tighter to his chest, as if trying to protect it from their mean words. He was cursing himself for not leaving Tachi in the bedrooms where he could have been more safe.  
_

_“Give that here!” The biggest boy said, and before Sasuke had time to react, another of the boys grabbed him by the arm, gripping him tight until he felt tears in his eyes from the pain. But even then, he refused to let go of his friend. “I said give it to me!” The boy repeated angrily, but Sasuke just shook his head, eyes screwed shut in pain. “Fine then, if that’s how you want it,”_

_And then another boy grabbed his other arm, pinching him so hard, Sasuke couldn’t help but cry out from the pain, though he still refused to let go of his toy. He tried to kick off the boys but they pushed him to the ground and the one that had wanted the toy sat on his back, keeping Sasuke's head down in the mud._ _He had gotten used to that after the first couple of times, but he couldn’t stop the tears this time because he dropped Tachi in his fall and now one of the boys was pulling at his wings and laughing at him._

 _Sasuke started kicking and trashing around on the ground but nothing seemed to work. He could hear the horrible sound of one of Tachi’s wings being ripped off and even if he had refused to give the other's the pleasure of hearing him scream, he still couldn’t help the tears. That toy was all he had ever had and it had always been with him. He didn’t even think it was him who had named it. It’s just that the name had always sounded oddly familiar and soothing to him, and even though the toy couldn’t talk, he still felt comforted while it was in his hands, as if no one could hurt him while it was with him._ _And now his only friend was being ripped apart in front of his very eyes and Sasuke felt so helpless and ashamed for letting that happen that he refused to look in Tachi’s red eyes with the three black comas in them, from fear that the raven would look at him with hate for not helping him out._

_“Hey, how about you leave him alone and try to take on someone your size, you poopheads!” Someone suddenly shouted from behind the bullies and Sasuke’s dark eyes widened when he recognized that voice from the protests and screaming he had heard earlier._

_Turning around, it was indeed the same kid. He couldn’t mistake those blue eyes and that blond hair. No one there had quite the same looks._

_“You must be new here if you’re trying to pick a fight with us,” One of the boys said confidently._

_“Yeah, I haven’t seen him around here before. How about you wait for your turn to get your ass kicked, huh?” Another one shouted, but the blond boy didn’t seem fazed in the least._

_“Yeah, like you could ever touch me,” He answered confidently and that was when Sasuke decided that the boy was clearly stupid. Didn’t he see what these boys were doing to him? And even if his plan had been to only run, he had to be one hell of a good runner to be able to outrun four older boys._

_“Wanna bet?” The boy sitting on Sasuke’s back said with a challenging smirk as he got up to his feet again. Even if he was now freed, the raven still didn’t dare to move an inch, just in case they noticed him again._

_“I don’t need to bet because I know that I will win if I did.” The kid answered, puffing out his chest with a smirk of his own.  
_

_“Yeah, sure. Get him!” The leader screamed and all of them ran towards the blond kid who immediately took off running for all he was worth._

_That’s when Sasuke took the chance to get up and search for Tachi. He found him a couple of feet away, all dirty because the boys had stepped on him, and with one wing completely missing._

_With tears in his eyes, Sasuke searched for the wing and when he found it, he  quickly retreated to his room. That night he had refused to go down for dinner in fear that someone would try to hurt Tachi again._ _That same night, the blond boy appeared in the room after everyone had gone to eat, apparently grounded for picking a fight. And even though the boy’s bottom lip was split, there was a huge bruise on his temple, both of his knees were scraped and there was a fresh wound on one of his elbows, he still smiled brightly at Sasuke the moment he noticed him._

_“Hey, I didn’t get to meet you earlier. I’m Naruto Uzumaki,” The boy said energetically. Sasuke stared at him for a second until he himself smiled a little. Naruto’s smile was just too contagious._

_“Sasuke Uchiha,” He answered quietly. Then he gently picked up Tachi from the bed and showed him to Naruto, now with his wing sewn back and bandaged by one of the caretakers. “This is Tachi,” He said and that was all it had taken for Naruto to go and sit next to Sasuke, immediately starting to talk about everything and anything that came to his mind._

_That night, for the first time in a long while, Sasuke had genuinely laughed._

* * *

Sasuke found himself looking at his friend’s peaceful, sleeping form. It was now close to six in the morning and they were apparently very near to a city. Sasuke had parked at a gas station to get some coffee and a sandwich for Naruto when he woke up.

 _‘Back in the day everything seemed so much easier and it was still far more complicated than it should’ve been,’_ Sasuke thought with a sigh. Ever since they had met they had been doing their best to protect each other. Naruto had gotten bullied a lot too. He was often made fun of because of the scars on his cheeks. The kids used to make a show of running away with screams when they saw him. They played games in which the one to hit Naruto first would win, calling these games stupid names like ‘Kill the monster’ or ‘Hunting’ and whatever else just equally as bad.

Of course, Naruto, being who he was, had always put up a strong front, smiling and acting like he was a part of the game, forcing himself to laugh even through the hurt whenever someone hit him. At first Sasuke had thought that the blond was just that stupid and didn’t understand what was going on but then, one night when he couldn’t fall asleep, he had heard a quiet whimpering in the bedroom and had realized it was coming from Naruto. That’s when he understood that Naruto was hurting just as badly as Sasuke was. He understood that Naruto was perfectly aware of what they were doing to him but had still wanted to have some semblance of friends. Because the blond boy had been just as lonely, he had decided that friends were friends, even if they hurt you constantly. But even back then, Sasuke had known that friends didn’t act like that towards each other.

That night, when Sasuke had heard Naruto cry, he had waited until the blond had finally fallen asleep and had gone to his bed to put Tachi next to his pillow, so that he could protect Naruto because he knew that this was what friends did. And ever since then he had decided to return the favor to the blond for that first day they had met and protect him from the others when they were trying to hit him or make fun of him. That night was when Sasuke had decided to be Naruto’s friend.

Sasuke hadn’t yet realized he was staring, nor that the rise and fall of Naruto’s chest with every breath he took, seemed to have such a calming effect on him. But whenever he did realize it, he was going to blame it on the lack of sleep. For now though, he just stared for a little while at his friend. No, his best friend, and probably the only one he had. Naruto looked so peaceful while he slept. Who could’ve guessed that there is such a hyper-active person beneath all that peace and the angelic features? And who could ever guess that there’s such a dark side of Naruto, hiding behind the mask of cheerfulness and laughter? A part that even scared Sasuke sometimes. A part he knew was the sure product of all the hurt, loneliness and betrayal the blond had been forced to go through at such an early stage of his life.

With a deep sigh, Sasuke turned away to stare ahead at the light-orange hues of the horizon while he took another sip of his coffee, a thoughtful look on his face. He took a cigarette out and lit it, opening the door and turning around to face outwards while he smoked, so that he would not disturb Naruto’s sleep.

He had asked the cashier about the city and had found out it was called Willmar. It was a small one, and hopefully a place where the Northwestern Minnesota Juvenile Center had little to no contacts. And either way, they wouldn’t spend that much time there. They just needed to buy some food and whatever else they might need for their journey. They could maybe walk around for a bit and think of what to do next because for now their only plan was to keep moving south, and that was in no way a proper plan of action.

Sasuke then glanced at his watch and smirked mischievously, realizing that it was almost time for the fuckers in the center to wake up. He just wished he could’ve gotten on camera the commotion they would cause in an hour or so.

* * *

At exactly six thirty five alarms went off in five different rooms. The occupants of said rooms sat up sleepily in their beds, some enjoying the feeling of the morning sun on their skin and the sound of birds chirping, while others were groaning about having to wake up so early. But groaning or not, they all got up from their beds and went to the small bathrooms the rooms had, noticing there didn’t seem to be any electricity, but not paying that fact much heed. They did whatever you needed to do in there this early in the morning, brushing their teeth and hairs and washing their faces.

After getting dressed, they all prepared themselves to face another day at the juvenile center. A day full of dealing with moody teenagers who thought that just because they had beaten someone in an unfair fight or stolen something from a rich man’s house, were just so cool and untouchable. Well, they weren’t so untouchable if they were there, now were they?

Some of the people here might feel bad for the ones who had grown up without parents. They can say all they want that the poor kids had turned out that way because there was no one to teach them otherwise, but parents or not, everyone knew what was wrong and what was right. That's why Mrs. Sanders didn’t feel bad about them at all. They should’ve gotten a job if they had needed the money so badly.

After lacing the ties of her shoes, Mrs. Sanders prepared to get out, happy that there were another twenty minutes before the teens were awoken. Usually, she and the others used that time to drink some coffee on the front porch before having to deal with the kids.

She grabbed the handle of the door and pulled, but somehow the door didn’t budge. Frowning, she checked the door's lock and almost face-palmed herself. She had forgotten to unlock the door before leaving. Again. So she unlocked it and tried to leave once more, but still the door didn’t move an inch. What was wrong with it? She was just about to shout out for someone to come and help her when she heard another voice doing very much the same. It was Mrs. Shepherd, and her high-pitched voice carried around all of the rooms, probably even the whole first floor. But that wasn’t necessarily bad. That meant that the guard had probably heard too and he would get there in an instant. She just had to wait a little while, no worries.

“What the fuck?” She heard someone mutter a minute later, and recognized it to be Tim’s voice, the night shift guard from last night.

Mrs. Sanders opened her mouth to ask what was going on when she was once again beaten to it by another one of the JDOs.

“Don’t just curse, do something!” Mr. Ryan had shouted, successfully making the guard run back to the cabin to get the keys for the pantries. He was sure there were some huge scissors there that would no doubt help him cut the wire. He almost smiled as he thought about how the culprits would be scrubbing toilets for weeks on end, but decided to leave the gloating for after he had freed the JDOs.

When he got to the cabin he blindly reached for the keys that he knew had to be on the hanger and was fairly confused when he didn’t feel them in his palm. He looked up at the hanger and found it empty except for his small bag. He patted the pockets of his uniform, but still, he couldn’t find the keys.

Worriedly, Tim made his way back towards the hallway where the officers were..

“I’m sorry guys, but there doesn’t seem to be a thing I can do,” He said apologetically, running a hand through his whiskers in thought.

“What do you mean, what is wrong with the doors?” Mrs. Sanders finally asked a little less calmly then she had hoped to sound.

“Well, um, the door handles seem to be tied together with some wire, and, um, I thought of cutting it with the big scissors, but I don’t have a key for the pantry so…” There was a series of deafening shouts of _what_ ’s coming from each and every room, and before Tim could tell them to calm down, the sounds of threats, screams, curses and kicks to the doors were being carried all throughout the first floor. The guard shook his bald head and began stepping backwards, knowing that the kitchen staff had keys for the pantries and deciding he would wait for them to come just a minute or two later. As he walked back, Tim noticed that the stairs leading to the second floor were also in the same state as the hallway. His eyes widened and he blinked a couple of times, trying to decide if he was seeing things, but no, the maze of wire didn’t disappear.

At six fifty the main cook indeed came through the front doors and immediately frowned at the commotion.

“What’s going on?” She asked, glancing around warily.

“I don’t have time to explain, just unlock the pantry, fast!” The woman had frowned, but hurriedly went to do as he was told, unlocking both of the pntries in a flash and stepping out of the way.

The guard began shuffling through their contents but in the end, he turned out empty handed when there were no scissors anywhere to be found. He grabbed his forehead with one hand at a loss of what to do. The cook demanded again to know what was wrong, but sadly, she didn’t get her answer this time either, because another, louder and way scarier wave of threats, screams and slams, flooded the building. This time, it was coming from the upper floor and that’s when Tim guessed that the hallway up there was much in the same state as the stairs and the staffs hallway. Even though the alarm that was supposed to wake up the teens never went off due to the lack of electricity, they had all pretty much gotten used to getting up at that time, and now the building resembled more a zoo at feeding time than a juvenile facility.

That’s it, Tim decided, he was dreaming. There was no way this had happened on his shift. He would no doubt get fired if all of this turned out to be for real.

The guard turned around and went for the front door, opening it and stepping outside to take a deep breath of fresh air. Then he decided that fresh air was for people who weren’t in trouble, so he began searching for his cigarettes and lighter. He soon cursed when he remembered he had left them in his bag. Nothing seemed to be going right this morning. The center was in chaos, the keys for, well, everywhere, were missing, there was no electricity and everything just seemed to be going to hell.

“Hey, Tim, what’s up? I’m surprised you’re still here,” He heard a cheerful voice call from the front yard. Looking up, Tim realized it was Mark who was making his way towards the front doors, the man supposed to take the day shift. Tim forgot about his cigarettes for a moment and focused on something else, a deep frown appearing between his bushy eyebrows.

“Why are you surprised, I never leave before you get here?” Tim asked, confusion evident on his face.

“Well, it’s just that I didn’t see your car in its’ usual place today, that’s all. But never mind then, I guess you just parked it somewhere else last night,” But Tim hadn’t. It had been in the same spot he’d been parking it for the last six years. He didn’t say another word and turned on his heels. With his frown deepening by the second, he went around the building, now a little anxious about what he would find, or rather, if he would find anything. And indeed, just beyond the tall fence where his car had to be, it wasn’t. The spot was vacant. No car, no nothing.

The guard grabbed his head once again, at loss for what to do, praying that it was all just one hellish nightmare, but unfortunately, in the end, he didn’t wake up. His car was still stolen and he thought it was also safe to assume that he was freshly unemployed now. That day couldn’t have gone any worse. And it was still seven in the morning.

 

* * *

  **A/N:** Okay, so for now my chapters are still fairly short but around the 6th or 7th, they will get longer. I'm just wordy, I guess, because from then on, I can't seem to write anything shorter than 9k words. But whatever, I hope you like this one. Please let me know if you did because I find reviews really motivational and endearing.  
Happy Holidays and have a nice day!


	3. The Plan

**A/N:** Okay, another chapter is up! And it's on the Friday the 13th! Really, there isn't that much I can say about this chapter. We get to meet another character? Nothing much happens except that they make a vogue plan about what they have to do. So far this is the only chapter in this story (I'm currently writing the 14th) where I'm focused mainly on their thoughts. Most of the time action and thoughts are balanced out in the other chapters but I felt like it was necessary to write this one that way because we've been mostly seeing their actions up until now.

Anyway, enjoy and give me your opinions :3

* * *

Willmar wasn’t anything special but the atmosphere was enough to put anyone in a good mood. The sun was shining brightly over the streets, reflecting from the windows of the buildings around. The air was fresh and the day was warm so the light breeze was deeply appreciated by everyone in the center of the city. The people were all dressed in colorful clothing, adding to the already nice atmosphere. Conversations were buzzing around, creating a cloak of laughter and giving you a strange feeling of peace.

Naruto and Sasuke were walking down that same city center. It was already past noon and soon they had to get back in the car and keep moving because no doubt the headmistress had already organized a group of people to search for them. She was a slave-driver like that. There were no buts when talking to her. She had seemed to take a liking to Naruto the very first day she had met him but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t do her best to get him right back in that dump.

“So,” Naruto began. “Where to now?” He asked, looking at Sasuke while the raven contemplated the question. They hadn’t done much planning up until now, deciding they needed at least an hour or two to not think about anything. The raven had been a little against the procrastinating but relented as soon as they got in the city. But then, an hour or two, had turned out to be all up until noon. Now though, when it was almost time to hit the road again, they had to have at least some sort of direction. Last night was all about getting as much distance as possible but now they had a stolen car on their hands and probably a couple of cops on their tracks. Just driving wherever the wind blew wouldn’t cut it anymore.

“We need to get rid of that car,” Sasuke began.

“That much is obvious,” Naruto rolled his eyes.

“Probably some fake ID’s and driving licenses too,” The raven continued as if his partner hadn’t said a word. “Maybe even some contact lenses and hair dye,”

“Yeah, probably a hairstylist too. That duck-butt of yours in not exactly unrecognizable, even if you dye your hair purple,” Naruto said, obviously amused and completely ignoring the glare sent his way. He never got why Sasuke was so anal about his hair anyway. “And just so you know, I prefer a wig or a cap or whatever. I like my hair the way it is, thank you very much. Also, that still doesn’t answer the question about where we're going.” The blond pointed out.

“For now I suggest we keep going south to Iowa,” Well that much was obvious too, Naruto thought, but then he saw Sasuke frown and the raven continued slowly. “You remember Deidara, right?” Sasuke asked and when Naruto nodded, he continued. “He wasn't really my type of guy but last time we met, he had decided to start anew. Get clean from all the drugs and stuff. He said something about opening his own hairdressing salon. Oh, and he was also so high on painkillers at the time he could’ve probably eaten a star too, but I guess it’s still worth the shot. I’m certain he’ll know some people who can help us out too,” Sasuke finished, still looking ahead while his lips were twisted in contemplation. He didn’t really look forward to meeting that psycho again, although beggars couldn’t be choosers, right? He could only hope the blond man would have kept his word and gotten clean. Otherwise going through the hassle of finding him would turn out to be a complete waste of time. Crucial time which they didn't really have at the moment. Unfortunately though, for now, that was their best plan.

“I don’t know why we have to drive to Illinois, searching exactly for him. I mean, look around you, there are at least four hairdressing salons I can see from here,”

“Because,” Sasuke started, sounding irritated that Naruto didn’t seem to get it. “We don’t have enough money at the moment to even feed ourselves. What makes you think we have enough to spare in there?” He pointed at the first salon he could see.

“Gee, fine then, I was just asking, no need to shove that stick up your ass even deeper,” Naruto said, putting his hands up in mock surrender and withstanding Sasuke’s glare heroically. “Okay then, so do you think Deidara’s still in Lewistown?” The blond asked, resuming the conversation, seemingly unperturbed by the murderous glare pointed at him.

“Doubtful,” Sasuke answered, finally shifting his eyes from the side of Naruto’s head, this time trying to set on fire some innocent bench on his left.

“Yeah, but even if he had gone somewhere else I’m sure some of his old friends there would know where he is,” Naruto, ever the optimist, said.

“Hn,” The blond knew that in Sasuke language that was something between maybe and yes, so he nodded to himself. At least they were getting somewhere.

“Okay then Lewistown it is. Sounds like a plan to me anyway,”

“It’s a start,” Sasuke admitted. “Let’s get back, we’ll talk more on the road,” He said, and with one last look around, the raven turned on his heels. He didn’t need to check if Naruto was following him, more than sure that the blond was, even if he was muttering something under his breath about bossy bastards.

* * *

Tsunade let her eyes roam the faces of the people gathered in her office and then let her gaze drift above their heads, looking all in all bored. Her chin was propped up on the back of her hand, and she mentioned with her other hand for them to start talking.

“Mrs. Senju, we’ve already contacted every police station in the state to be on the lookout for them. We gave descriptions of the two missing boys and the car they’ve supposedly stolen,” A tall police officer standing to the left started. “We also have a solid theory about which road they have taken so tracking them down shouldn’t be so hard,”

“We believe that they couldn’t have gotten that far, miss. They are probably still in the state so they shall be soon captured,” Another officer, this one a woman, added.

Tsunade’s eyes narrowed. That was very doubtful. Knowing these two brats, it would be a miracle if they have actually taken the road the cops were talking about. If you asked her, they would have probably kept to black, off-map roads. She would be also surprised if they were still in the state. They weren’t just your common underage thugs. They were way too perceptive and smart, and to top it all off, had an amazing, and very long list of helpful and dangerous contacts. She feared that searching just the state wouldn’t help them at all.

“Also, we plan on notifying the patrols on the borders so escaping the state isn’t really an option for them,”

Yes, probably, if these two were anybody else, it wouldn’t be an option.  But the police wouldn’t be so caught up about two underage brats escaping juvenile. And why would they be? Tsunade was sure they had more important matters on their hands. Naruto and Sasuke couldn’t be really considered a serious threat if you looked at things from the police’s point of view. She knew that the cops thought of underage criminals as just some stupid, hormone-driven brats who never put much thought into what they were doing. And for the most part they were right, but this time around, it just wasn’t the case. That’s why she was sure that the police patrols wouldn’t even know when Naruto and Sasuke had crossed the border. Tsunade knew all about them, how efficient and subtle they could be whenever they needed to, how they thought just a little out of the box and usually that was what saved them (the chaos this morning being the perfect example) and also, she knew the real reason as to why they were sent there. She knew it was crucial for them to be kept in the center and she was cursing herself for underestimating them so much. Now she was seeing firsthand how the police were underestimating them too and she knew that this is why the two boys would get away. The worst part was, if these other three brats caught word of that, they would most probably be proud of that escape. Stupid brats… all of them!

She sighed and dropped her hand on the desk, as if even more bored now. She then directed her gaze at one of the officers and the man almost squirmed under her stare. She might just be the headmistress of the juvenile center now, but she was also a very powerful woman. Physically and status wise.

“If they aren’t captured and brought here until tomorrow evening, I want all of the surrounding states to be notified of them as well,”

“Understood,” Both of the officers said and turned to leave the headmistress to herself.

Once the door had been closed, Tsunade leaned back in her seat with a heavy sigh. These two were going to be the end of her, that’s for sure. And because she was sure that until tomorrow night Naruto and Sasuke wouldn’t be anywhere near to the center again, probably even further away if nothing else, she had to call these other three brats and tell them what had had happened. Oh, she was getting pissed at the conversation even before it had occurred because she was almost sure she knew what it would sound like.

She straightened up again and looked at the clock on her wall. With satisfaction she noted that Shizune and Jiraya were on a lunch break and so she pulled out a set of keys from her pocket. Alcohol doesn’t solve your problems but it is definitely worth the shot, right? And a cigarette would calm her nerves, even if just a little.

Tsunade chuckled at her own pun as she inserted one of the keys in the lock of the cabinet, twisting it and unlocking it.

The busty blonde opened the small door and looked inside. Then she looked some more until she was just outright staring, her little satisfied smirk falling from her lips instantly. Her eyes hardened and narrowed into a glare at nothing in particular as she barely refrained from slamming her fist down on the desk and probably breaking it. Again. However, even if she had refrained from using her physical strength, the rage still ended up coming out through her voice.

“I’M GOING TO KILL THOSE STUPID BRATS!”

* * *

 Naruto sneezed loudly in the car and rolled up the window to his door with a frown. It wouldn’t do them any good to get sick, now would it?

“So if there is no one of Deidara’s acquaintances who can be of any help to us, we’re going to Sullivan,” Sasuke said.

“Yeah, sure,” Naruto agreed. He didn’t really care where they went as long as they got rid of the car. He just hoped their next one wouldn’t be total shit. He wanted something nice. Not that this wasn’t nice, but it wouldn’t be an option for much longer. He was even surprised they hadn’t been stopped so far. Okay, so there was also the fact that they have been driving for just half an hour now during the day. So when he thought about it, it wasn’t that surprising. Still, they had to be very careful. No doubt the guard from last night would have told the police about his missing car and as slow as thecops could be at times, no doubt they would have put two and two together already.

It was a good thing that Sasuke seemed to have an acquaintance who would buy their car. It was nice to get some money out of it, because honestly, Naruto had thought of just dumping it in some random city at one point. The raven said this guy owed him a favor which would be no question asked and to dispose of the car as soon as possible. It was pretty convenient actually to have so many people to owe you stuff as Sasuke had. For an antisocial guy he actually seemed to have a lot of acquaintances. Of course, Naruto also knew most of them, but then there were those like the guy they were talking about now, usually the more shady ones, who the blond never knew how Sasuke had even met.

“Do you think we’ll have problems on the border?” Naruto asked slowly, seemingly out of the blue while staring out of the window.

“It’s possible,” Sasuke said, his eyes never leaving the road ahead of him as he continued driving.

“I think that if I were from the police, I would have told the patrols to be on the lookout for us,” Naruto said, twisting his lips to the side in contemplation.

“That’s exactly why I don’t plan on using any of the main roads to cross it,” Sasuke said and Naruto just nodded absentmindedly, his eyes never ones leaving the window.

The raven noticed that his friend seemed to be in a quiet mood today and that was awfully unusual for Naruto. Well maybe not quiet per se, but most definitely lacking in hyperactivity and loudness. Most of the time he couldn’t get him to shut up and the raven couldn’t help but wonder what could be on his friend’s mind. Of course, there were a few pressing matters right now, but this wasn’t their first time being on the run from the police. And besides, they were in this together so if there was anything bothering Naruto about what they were doing right now, he would have told Sasuke a long while ago. Probably the second it had popped up in his head actually.

Naruto wasn’t a person that was easily fazed. He was optimistic, sometimes to foolishness, and always seemed to have some sort of an idea, no matter the situation they found themselves in. Sometimes even surprising Sasuke with the brilliance of his plans. He might give most people the idea that he was stupid, but that wasn't the case at all. The blond was usually very good at reading people and also at making them talk about seemingly unimportant stuff while learning what he needed from them. Sasuke might be calling him an idiot on a daily basis but that had more to do with the blond's behavior rather than his brains. And besides, it was more like a nickname by now, in which Naruto took no offence, just like Sasuke didn't whenever the blond would call him an asshole. He knew that his best friend was actually pretty perceptive and was quick to think of a solution when the times called for it.

Sasuke guessed that sometimes people needed some time to tend to their own thoughts. He understood this all too well. And besides, even if Naruto acted like it a lot, he wasn’t really that happy-go-lucky guy everyone was used to seeing and sometimes it bothered Sasuke that the blond felt the need to pretend even in front of him when they were all alone. On the other hand though, whether bothered by it or not, the raven understood that for Naruto, this seemingly endless optimism was some sort of a defense mechanism he had built. They were both people with pasts a bit more troubling than most of the seventeen year olds were supposed to have so it was only normal to create yourself defenses. And when you get used to these walls being up all the time, it is sometimes hard to drop them all in the span of a second, no matter who the person next to you is.

With one last sigh, Sasuke decided to drop it and instead searched through his pockets with one had for the pack of cigarettes and the lighter.

On the other side of the car, deep in his own thoughts, Naruto hadn’t noticed Sasuke’s inner musings. He just felt content staring outside the window for now and letting his thoughts wander. Usually he did those kinds of things at night but now, when he would be in his friend’s company 24/7 again, he had decided that now was as good of a time as ever. Besides, this was Sasuke. He didn’t usually talk much anyway if he wasn’t asked something and he preferred his peace and quiet more than anything else so Naruto figured that the raven would actually be enjoying himself right now. He told him to shut up most of the time anyway so why not listen to him for once?

Naruto smiled a little at his reflection, thinking that if Sasuke could read minds, right now he’d be holding him at gunpoint and asking him what he’d done to the real Naruto. It wasn’t every day the blond listened to him. Okay, so probably it was more like once in a blue moon and that’s why Naruto decided that his friend was enjoying the quiet right now. It was admittedly a comfortable silence, even if it felt a little forced.

But anyway, Sasuke wasn’t the reason why he’d shut up. Pff, as if, the raven probably told him a thousand and two times a day to shut his mouth and he never did so now was definitely not the time he was going to start obliging. He had gone quiet, first because he still felt tired. He had gotten about three hours of sleep at most and that wasn’t nearly enough for his usual hyperactive self. And second, Naruto was anxious. Anxious that at any given moment they could be stopped by the police and taken back to the juvenile center, not even a day after their escape. Of course, they would never go down without a fight but there wasn’t much they could do when faced with a couple of trained, armed cops. And even if they didn’t get caught right away, Naruto wasn’t certain what they would be doing from then on. It wasn’t like they could get jobs anywhere because they had to keep moving and no doubt civil people would start recognizing them soon if they stayed in one place for too long. The forty dollars in the stolen wallet were hardly enough to sustain them for the next two days or so, because even if they ate as little as possible, gas still costed money.

But then again, when he thought about it, there had been times in the past when they have survived even worse. They had managed with far less than they had at the moment. For now, his main concern was crossing the state border. It was where it was most probable to get caught and Naruto really hoped they would manage.

In a very usual surge of optimism for him, the blond decided that they would probably make it out alright this time around too. In just eight hours from now they would be in Lewistown. It would be just around nightfall and they could camp in the car once again just like the good old times. Besides, he trusted Sasuke to evade the cops. They had enough practice with that. Not like they committed any crimes just for fun or because of the thrill of it, even if it was all still there, but try and explain that to the damn police. Yes, they were thieves, Naruto was ready to admit that, but they only did it out of necessity. Some would say that they could have stayed in the orphanage and evaded that but that was in no way an option for them. When you weren’t little anymore, chances of getting adopted were getting slimmer and slimmer so the orphanages stopped caring about you at one point. You are just a burden to them if you can’t get adopted. Also, Naruto and Sasuke hadn’t wanted to get adopted because to them that meant that they would have to be separated. That’s why whenever there were people looking to adopt, they would always pull pranks and pick up fights and basically just do whatever they could to avoid being liked. When they were little they had been each other’s family, they still were, and they were completely enough to each other, so to them, the thought of being separated just to be sent in a house full of strangers was just plain evil.

And because of that behavior to avoid interest in either of them, the orphanage had begun to think of them as more and more of a burden until that one day, after royally pissing off one of the caretakers, they were just given the permission to pack their stuff and go. Okay, so maybe that was a little far stretched, and it was probably something the woman had said in her frustration from having to deal with them for so long, but still, they hadn’t wasted a minute and had gone, leaving the place behind themselves in the span of an hour. They were only thirteen at the time and they still had managed at the end. It had been hard in the beginning. Theft just wasn’t something they had had in their school program and more than a couple of times they had been on the verge of being caught, but practice made perfect, right? Of course, despite all of their efforts, at one point, their thievery had caught up to them, resulting in them being sent to juvie, but it was all about survival when you asked the two boys who were left to fend for themselves all alone on the streets.

So, with a small nod, Naruto decided that they would once again pull through. They have done it for almost four years so seven months were hardly enough time to make them forget what it was like to be all by yourself and do anything you could to survive. Even if that mean stealing from shops at night or breaking into houses when the families were away. The shops would keep on existing even without some basic stuff and the families would keep on being happy and well fed even without a couple of jewelry. Businessmen could go on without a lunch for a day and the women on the streets with handbags which costed more than an average salary could survive the rest of the day without a couple of bills too. People who had enough just didn’t understand that Naruto and Sasuke, as people who didn’t have anything, were only trying their best to survive.

And this time they were going to survive too. Naruto promised himself to see to that no matter what it costed them.

With renewed powers and again in a good mood, he straightened in his seat and finally moved his eyes from the window to look around the car. His gaze stopped at Sasuke who was now throwing away the butt of his cigarette out of the window.  

The blond smiled fondly, probably without even realizing it. It didn’t last long though, because soon the smile morphed into a devious grin and Naruto reached out as fast as he could towards Sasuke and ruffled his hair roughly while laughing loudly.

He watched with amusement the shock that went through his friend’s face at first and then the familiar twitch of a fine dark eyebrow when it finally registered in his brain what had just happened.

“What in all hell do you think you’re doing, moron?” Sasuke growled, glaring at the blond from the corner of his eye and trying his best to get away from the offending hand without crashing the car.

“Oh, nothing,” Naruto answered with a sugarcoated voice and tried for all he was worth to look innocent despite barely keeping his laughter bottled up.

“Yeah, do ‘nothing’ once more and you’ll never see that hand of yours ever again ,” Sasuke threatened in irritation and then rolled his eyes when Naruto laughed. How he was going to get through this without murdering his now, apparently bipolar, friend at some point, was completely beyond the raven.

* * *

It wasn’t for another two hours until they got near the border and until the tension in the car began to get ticker and ticker. They had a plan of course, and a pretty basic and hopefully effective one, but that still didn’t ease their anxiety by much. The usual lively banter and conversation had died out in the last half an hour, both of them aware that they were nearing a place that could probably be the last stop of their journey if they weren’t careful.

Fifteen miles before the state border, Sasuke made a sharp turn and went on a black road a little further away. Thankfully, it was hidden from the main one by thick, tall trees. Still, they were pretty nervous about the what-if’s. Even if they were hidden now, what if when they return to the main road again, they hadn’t passed the border by that much?  Or worse, what if the cops hadn’t underestimated them as much as they usually did, and have prepared for them to take a side road? But then again, the cops would never go so far just for two underage thieves, so they probably didn’t need to worry so much, right? Besides, Naruto couldn’t remember even one single time when they hadn’t been underestimated by the people of authority.

These were their main concerns for now so the next hour or so, Sasuke drove extra carefully, glancing at the rear-view mirror every couple of minutes and following the dirt road with the slow pace of twenty miles per hour. Branches and leaves were brushing against the side of the car and its’ roof, some of them even poking in through the open windows, making the duo lean down occasionally so to not get hit in the face.

In that hour spent in the shadows of the small forest, where the only sounds were coming from the birds hidden in the trees and the wheels on the road, they both managed to get a little bit more relaxed. The knowledge that they were actually crossing the border, seemingly unnoticed and without any problems, made them calm down a little. They still needed to be careful while driving on main roads, sure, but they would also be getting their fake ID’s soon if they had any luck. That is, if they didn’t get stopped before crossing Iowa, and yet, they didn’t think it was that probable. Sasuke was more than convinced that the surrounding states weren’t yet notified about them so even if they got stopped, he hoped it wouldn’t be about anything they needed to worry about. Whenever Iowa was notified about them though, well, he just hoped that by that time they would have gotten to Illinois.

Sasuke also hoped that the psycho Deidara was still there and could pull some strings for them. This guy’s help was what they were hoping on here.

When the raven turned the car to get back on the main road again, Naruto tensed, but he commanded his body to relax. They would be fine. They were far away from the border now, right? Nothing could go wrong now. Not for another day or two at least. Right?

And although Naruto had thought that he had calmed himself before, he just couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief once they were on the main road again and there didn’t seem to be any sign of police cars anywhere in sight. He felt the tension leave his muscles all at once.

“Phew, I’m glad that at least this is over,” He turned to look at Sasuke, who had visibly calmed down too, and just used his perfect for any situation noncommital sound, earning himself a roll from the blue eyes.

Talkative or not, the raven’s jaw didn’t seem to be working anymore and his features had softened. Well, as much as Sasuke’s features ever did, but seeing the raven smirk, obviously calm, also made Naruto noticeably calmer too. He preferred much better the flawless, pale face without the frown that marred it more often than not. Also, there was just something very calming about Sasuke’s expression when he wasn’t troubled.

When he was relaxed, he often loosened up and that’s when the blond had the most fun with his best friend. Their friendly banters got just slightly more entertaining and the raven wasn’t so anal about touching too. And for a really physical person like Naruto, that was a huge bonus. When they were little Sasuke hadn’t seemed to have that problem, or at least Naruto didn’t remember such a thing. To this day though, he still didn’t know what had happened, but a while back the raven had gotten really uncomfortable with touching. And even if Naruto didn’t understand him, he had learned to deal with it and give his friend his space. Well, if he wasn’t trying to provoke or annoy him that is, which when Naruto thought about now, was happening a lot more lately then he could ever remember. Time at a time, he would catch himself leaning just a bit too much towards Sasuke when they were having an argument or when Naruto was trying to prove a point. The occasional brush of a shoulder or hand while walking didn’t make him take a step to the side like before so to not annoy Sasuke, but then the blond couldn’t help but notice that Sasuke also didn’t seem to mind close proximity all that much as of lately. Well, when it came to him at least.

Naruto shrugged a little and decided it was just because Sasuke was just so used to him now, he probably didn’t really mind being touched by the blond all that much like before. It was a little strange to think that he seemed to be the only person Sasuke trusted enough to let his defenses down around, but then again, except for Naruto, there didn’t seem to be any other person Sasuke spent so much time with. So not so surprising after all.

Naruto looked out of the window and decided once again that if Sasuke could read minds, right now the blond would be the object of such a heated glare, he’d probably get more tanned than usual. Shaking his head slightly, the blond refocused his thoughts on the present and he realized that in couple of hours they’d be where they needed to be. The sun was beginning to slowly get lower and in a while, it would be dark again. That knowledge also seemed like a good thing to them. The less the visibility, the lesser the chance of being recognized that easily. Naruto just hoped that by the end of the day after tomorrow they wouldn’t be chased anymore. Then he could actually relax for real. Of course, he could probably take some time and relax right now, but there was something bugging him.

“Hey, you’ve been driving for far much longer than me. When is it my turn again?” The blond asked with a somewhat offended expression on his face.

“When you stop acting like a kid,” Was the no-nonsense answer, though a smirk soon broke out on the pale features.

“Asshole,” He muttered, intending to pout and sulk for a while until he got to drive, but his plan crumbled down when instead of ignoring the insult like most of the times lately, Sasuke retaliated with barely hidden amusement. And of course, Naruto answered back, helping them fall back in the routine of light, friendly banter. Oh, and also, twenty minutes later Naruto was sitting happily behind the steering wheel.

* * *

 **A/N:** I seriously don't know how I feel about this chapter. I think that this time Naruto and Sasuke came out a little OOC and maybe that's what's bugging me. Anyhow, I think I'll upload the fourth chapter sooner. Maybe like in a day or two. It's a chapter I really like and also, this one seems rather short so I think I'm compensating lol

Leave me a review of what you think and I'll see you guys next time!

 

 


	4. The Future

**A/N:** Oh boy, here I am again, bearing the fourth chapter! Just decided I want to post it now instead of in two weeks. Could be because I really like this one lol. It's one of my favorites to be honest, and I hope you like it too. We get to see the boys in action again. Also, they are starting to think about stuff that hasn't crossed their minds before although they are still very far from the realizations that would lead them to their relationship. But don't worry, we'll get there, I promise ;)

On with the chapter! Review and tell me what you think about it :3

* * *

Two hours later Naruto had begun to yawn widely and Sasuke wasn’t faring any better on his side of the car either. That said they had decided that the next town they came across would be their stop for the night. They hadn’t gotten that much sleep last night and were still very much tired even if they had been sitting in the car for most of the day. Sasuke had had barely one hour of rest and Naruto had three, so as soon as they came across it, they stopped by a little town called Anamosa when it was around eight in the evening.

Once the car was pulled off of the road Naruto leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes in content, realizing only after the engine was turned off how noisy it had actually been.

“Man, I’m beat,” He said with a sigh and he heard his friend ‘hn’ from beside him. It was also at that same time when the blond’s stomach chose to make a loud, growling noise, making Naruto put a hand over it as if to shush it and smile sheepishly at Sasuke. He saw that the raven was probably about to make some sort of a smartass comment but he was also betrayed by his own body when a loud, identical sound came from his belly too, making him snap his mouth shut as soon as he had opened it.

“How much money do we have?” Naruto asked in all seriousness. Sasuke pursed his lips and pulled out the stolen wallet from his back pocket. He opened it and frowned. Well, at least Naruto couldn’t say that he was disappointed, because in all honesty, he had expected that exact expression.

“Enough to get to Lewistown, but not much for anything else,” The raven explained with a scowl.

“Yeah, well I haven’t eaten since breakfast and you since lunch. And I doubt it’s gonna do us any good to start collapsing behind the wheel because off low levels of sugar so…” Sasuke just sighed in response. “What about our pity formation?” Naruto asked hopefully and the raven was actually surprised he hadn’t thought about it himself.

Sasuke mulled it over in his head. He hoped there would be some good places for it around town. The more the people there were, the better it would turn out, but it was also a pretty small town so he doubted they’ll get much in the end. But on the other hand, even if they got enough to have dinner, it would be just the perfect amount right now. So in the end, Sasuke nodded and unbuckled his seat belt.

“You will be pitied though,” Sasuke said when he shut the car door and looked at the silent road leading to the city.

“What? Why me? It’s usually you who gets all of the girls to jump to their feet to try and help,” Naruto argued, making Sasuke frown. He hated exactly that part of the plan, because even if it had always worked, he hated the fuss it usually created. He also hated being the center of such attention, or any attention for that matter. Besides, when they had come up with the plan, originally the blond was supposed to be the pitied one, not him.

“I was the one last time,” The raven answered, clearly satisfied by that. Naruto grumbled something under his nose but Sasuke decided to ignore it like always. “Besides, you were always better at attracting attention than I am,” Sasuke added.

“Flattery will get you nowhere, bastard,” Naruto crossed his hands over his chest and turned his head to the other side. The pout was obvious on his lips even in the dark.

“I’m not sure I meant it as a compliment but sure, take it as you wish,” He answered with a smirk and then locked the car. Then he started walking down the road and soon the blond caught up to him. Not a minute later, he began to talk about whatever came to his mind first. He was obviously over the fact he had to play the hated part in their plan, or maybe he had understood that it was more important to get money now than to fight over how they got it, or maybe he just didn’t mind all that much in the end. Who knew?

At some point Sasuke tuned out the chatter and stared at the lights ahead of them, telling them they were getting closer to their destination with every step they took. Small windows were spilling cozy lightning from within and he was sure that in some of the rooms beyond, there were happy families. There were parents, who were middle-class people with their teenage kids, who acted like they knew everything, even though they couldn’t boil an egg by themselves and generally didn’t appreciate what they had. Teenagers just like them, but with that difference, that these hadn’t gone even through one day of hardship as Naruto and Sasuke had. Kids, who despite their attitude and mouthing back, still had their parents by their sides, helping them and supporting them, whether it was financially or emotionally.

And Sasuke hated these kids because they didn’t know what they had. They didn’t know that he and his best friend would have given up everything they had at some point in their lives just for an hour with their parents. Yes, these kids still didn’t know shit about life and the world around them.

“Hey Sasuke, what about we get some beer on our way back?”

“Fine,” He muttered without really thinking about it. Well, maybe it wasn’t so bad after all, huh? Yeah, they still had the cops on them for various of reasons and they were just about to put another one to the list, but they have learned to deal with the way things were for them. Besides, sometimes, having no parents or permanent home could be fun. No one could tell you to go to bed or scold you when you smoked or drank. No one could tell you to clean your room or that you needed to take the trash out. You could go wherever you wanted to and do whatever you wanted there. It would have still been nice to have these people around you to care for you and be loved, yeah, but on the other hand, life had thought them things no average teenager nowadays knew. And could they really complain all that much when they’ve never had parents to begin with? They couldn’t say they have gone through some kind of loss that had affected them badly.

Okay, well, they probably turned out to be criminals, but that was just something the circumstances had called for. Of course, they were still jealous of other people because of what they had and didn’t appreciate, and sometimes even mad or frustrated for being dealt such a cruel hand in life, but still. Life is the way it is, so you either learn to deal with it or, well, there were always ways out of it if you don’t like it so much.

Yes, not all that bad from some points of view, Sasuke decided in the end.

* * *

A blond boy, very disheveled and slightly flushed, ran through the doors of the train station and towards the tracks, shouting loudly for the train that was just leaving to stop.

All eyes turned towards the loud teen, staring incredulously. No one had ever seen that boy around and usually people in such towns knew almost everyone else. But no one seemed to care that he was a stranger when the boy tripped over his feet a few steps before the tracks and fell flat on his face.

All the people, who weren’t that much to begin with, jumped to their feet and rushed towards the blond stranger to help him out, making a small crowd around him.

With a groan, Naruto slowly pushed himself up to his hands and knees. He smirked inwardly when he saw all those people gathering around him and was very thankful to human nature and its’ high levels of compassion for helping them out so much in times of need. On the outwards though, the blond had his face scrunched up in pain as a small trail of blood was running down from the corner of his mouth because he had bitten his tongue when he fell. It hurt but it was definitely working in his favor.

Two hands grabbed his forearms on either side of him and pulled him up to his feet. He wobbled a little, just for show, but didn’t fall again. Besides, the two men were still holding him and asking him if he was okay, though he didn’t answer them. Some of the women were staring at him in shock, their mouths covered by hands with perfect manicure, while others were staring at him with pity, usually the men and the elder ones.

Naruto glanced at the tracks again and his big blue eyes saddened when the train was already far away. Tears welled up in his eyes and he heard some of the women gasp at the sight. Maybe at some point in the future he could become an actor what with how engrossed he was in his role.

The blond then sighed and glanced at his feet when he was finally left to stand on his own, his hair covering his eyes, although it didn’t exactly hide the lone tear that rolled down his cheek and then fell to the pavement underneath his feet.

“That train… I… I haven’t seen my family for a year now,” He sniffed, talking to no one in particular with a chocked, wavering voice. He was satisfied when he heard gasps from around him and whisperers of ‘oh god’ and ‘the poor boy’.

With another sigh and a sniff, Naruto wiped away the tears and the blood from his face and then turned around. He began walking slowly towards the entrance of the train station, making sure to keep his head low and drag his feet as much as he could. He could still feel the looks of pity on his back coming from the people who were watching him leave.

Meanwhile, even before Naruto had run in, Sasuke had been sitting on a bench and waiting peacefully for ‘his train’, which in his case was the sign to start doing what he did best. Thankfully, he didn’t wait for long, because very soon a blur of an orange T-shirt and blue jeans had ran in, shouting, and successfully attracting all of the attention. Yes, Naruto indeed was a way better attention-seeker than Sasuke could even dream to become.

The raven rolled his eyes when Naruto fell flat on his face. He seriously overdid it most of the time. But overdoing it or not, all of the people were gathered around him with the speed of light and that was Sasuke's cue to begin.

People were dumb because the ones who were sitting usually left their bags while they went to see what was going on, so of course the duo was going to use their stupidity against them. The plan had been born a while ago when they had been passing through a metro station and a boy around their age back then had ran in and missed his train because of falling down. People took pity on him and of course, went to help. It was then that Naruto and Sasuke figured it was a nice diversion to get some money for a couple of meals.

The raven managed to go through almost every bag and jacket which was left on the benches that were the furthest away from the commotion Naruto had created. All in all, he was surprised at the amount he gathered. He heard murmurs and whisperers coming from the crowd and, deciding what he had gotten so far should be enough for now, he hightailed it out of there as fast as possible. Once out of the station, he leaned on the wall behind him and counted the bills while waiting for Naruto again.

He didn’t wait long for the blond to appear this time either. When he walked through the big double doors,the first thing he did was grin at Sasuke who immediately scowled at him. The raven then reached with hand to wiped Naruto’s bottom lip, glaring at the blood that was now smeared on his finger. He also did his best to ignore the small tingle on the tip of said finger caused by the simple touch of Naruto's lip.

Sasuke arched his eyebrow at the blond when he finally pealed his gaze away from the blood.

“Oh, I, um, kinda bit my tongue when I fell down, but hey, it actually worked in our favor so no big deal,” The blond said, beaming again at his partner.

“You always overdo it, moron. One day, when you break your neck, I won’t be the one taking you to a hospital,” Oh, Sasuke always did such a great job at hiding the fact that he cared. Not that he even had to try, the blond knew him far too well to take these words for a threat instead for what they really were, so he just grinned again. As fucked up as it sounded, irritated Sasuke meant caring Sasuke.

“Don’t worry, if I ever break my neck, I’d be dead so you wouldn’t need to bother yourself with driving me anywhere except for the closest cemetery,” Naruto said with a smirk, which only widened when the raven rolled his eyes. “So, how much did we get?” He asked enthusiastically after that.

“Around eighty-three dollars, and honestly, I’m surprised,” The raven explained.

“Why? I mean, they’re on the train station so of course they’ll have more money on them, they’re planning on traveling after all,” Sasuke knew that, he was surprised that this time he had so much time to work his part of the plan was all. He was used to having half that time because before they have usually done that in big cities and people there were far less compassionate because they were way too busy with their own day to care for some clumsy runt who missed his train.

“Whatever,” The raven muttered and began walking toward the road they had come from. He didn’t feel like explaining all that to Naruto right now. And besides, it didn’t matter that much, they had money to eat for at least a couple of days so no need to over-analyze anything.

“Let’s eat!” Naruto exclaimed and Sasuke couldn’t help but smirk a little at his excitement. He was finding it harder and harder to stay in a bad mood today.

* * *

They had just finished their dinner a while ago and Naruto was more than happy to just watch the stars above them and sip from his bottle of beer. His tongue stung a little at times because of the accident earlier but it wasn’t nearly bad enough to ruin his joy from sitting in the back of the old pickup, propped up on the back window, and staring at the night sky with a beer in hand and a Sasuke by his side.

There, so out of the city, the nights were truly breathtaking. You could hear the crickets in the tall grass and the chirping of the birds from afar. You could see the sway of the grass blades under the night breeze and you just couldn’t count the stars in the sky which surrounded the big moon. It was far more entrancing that way when there weren’t any buildings around to block your view.

“So, how about it?” Naruto took another swing from the bottle in his hand.

“The plan has many faults but it’s overall a nice one,” Sasuke answered and then sighed when he felt the questioning gaze bore in the side of his head. “First of all, we would need a lot of time to gather the money for the plane tickets and then for a place to live in Europe. I mean, you’re whole idea was about starting anew right? That means no illegal stuff. Besides, we have no education so finding a job wouldn’t be such an easy task in the beginning. Passports aren’t exactly easy to obtain either when you are still underage and with no parents. But except all that, I guess I really like the idea,”

“Yeah, me too,” Naruto sighed, his gaze once again trained on the sky above them. “Just imagine it. Going to a place where no one knows us. A place where we can be finally at peace. And I mean, it wouldn’t be that hard to get an education, right? Like yeah, it’s gonna cost a shit ton of money, but in the end, it’s still going to be worth it. If we really put our minds into it, I know we will be able to build a nice life for ourselves,”

“Yeah,” Sasuke said. He could really see it the way Naruto described it. The simplicity of it was what really caught his attention and made him wonder if they could actually pull it off at some point. Most would dream about money or fame, or power, or even all of the above at once. The fact that they dreamed of something that seemed to be a completely normal part of life for others was actually a little heart-breaking.

“Maybe even start families at some point,” The blond continued and Sasuke noticed there was no amusement in his voice. “I don’t know about you but I can’t wait to have a couple of Naruto Juniors running around,” He said with a smile.

“No, thank you, one of you is more than enough to last anyone a lifetime,” The raven answered and the blond could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

“Pfft, like your kids are going to be any better. I bet they’d be all a bunch of nerds with big ass glasses from too much reading, and will be all scrawny and lanky as you are, and maybe even as brooding and pessimistic, though it’s hard to imagine anyone getting even close to your level of emo-ness,” Naruto said. This time the amusement in his voice was unmistakable.

“First of all, I don’t think there’s such a word as ‘emo-ness’,” Sasuke began very matter-of-factly. “Second of all, better be nerds than some dumbass morons, and last, but not least, I may be ‘scrawny’ as you put it, even though you’re totally wrong on that one, but I’m still the one that wins almost every fight we have. Be it physically or verbally, sometimes even both at the same time, so I advise you to shut up if you don’t want me to prove it,”

“Yeah, I’d like to see you try, asshole,” Naruto said, waving his hand dismissively, not really aiming to start a fight despite his words. It was more like he said them out of habit.

“Tch, moron,” Sasuke answered just as dismissively, though he couldn’t help the small curving of his lips. He then took out the pack of cigarettes from his pocket and a lighter. Pulling one out, he threw the pack between them and of course, the blond reached for it almost before it had landed. When the raven had lit his, he also lit the one that was already dangling from between Naruto’s lips.

After a second they both exhaled the smoke from their lungs and sighed, enjoying the calm. Not twenty four hours ago they were stuffed in a juvenile center with about fifty other kids and half as much staff but now they were far away from that, smoking and drinking out in an open grass field. Okay, well maybe not that far away considering they were probably still pursued, but far away from the center at least.

“For real though, I think our kids could be friends. Like, really good ones. Oh, and we could be those really cool dads that have all kinds of stories about crazy stuff that has happened to them,” Sasuke smirked once again at Naruto’s enthusiasm.

“Hn, I don’t plan on having kids,” Sasuke told him without even looking at him and took another drag of his cigarette. Then he watched the smoke as he made a couple of perfect rings, which flew up and got carried away by the soft breeze of the night.

“What, why? Oh, wait, don’t tell me. You’ll say they’re just annoying and that you hate kids anyway, right? I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised, you hate even me, your closest friend,” The blond said, rolling his eyes at Sasuke’s logic even though he had actually made it all up by himself. Not that he was entirely wrong, but he wasn’t completely right either.

“Something like that,” The raven answered nonchalantly while looking at the stars. He didn’t feel like explaining himself and besides, even if he did, he wasn’t sure if Naruto would understand despite being his best friend.

“Well, you aren’t getting the easy way out, you’ll live with me and my wife and our kids and you’ll be the cool uncle that teaches them all kinds of really smart and interesting stuff like how to pick locks and steal cars and…” Naruto paused for only a second as he realized what he was saying. “Okay, wait, don’t teach them that,” Naruto said with a slight chuckle and heard Sasuke snort from beside him. “Just tell them all the boring, and somewhat pointless, stuff you know and, like, give them life advises and just be something like their second dad,”

Either Naruto didn’t really think about what he was saying or he didn’t really care about how he sounded sometimes. Sasuke just didn't seem to be able to find another explanation to what Naruto had just said, because to the raven, it had just sounded like he wanted them to be parents in a polygamous relationship. And somehow, for the sake of those poor kids who would be getting Naruto's genes, he hoped that this wasn't what the blond had meant.

“And don’t even start about how you’ll live with your wife,” Sasuke rolled his eyes at that. He didn’t want a wife, but he’ll let Naruto live in oblivion for now, “The poor girl wouldn’t last a week in your company before kicking you out, so for the sake of old times, I’d let you sleep on my couch, don’t worry,” He added cheekily, but the smile was somewhat too forced so Sasuke decided that indeed, at some point, Naruto had stopped thinking about what came out of his mouth, then realized it a little too late, and was now desperately trying to fix that.

“Hn, you know you just want me around because no one else could deal with you for more than an hour,” Sasuke said, meaning it as a joke but was surprised when it wasn’t actually taken as one. The blond fell silent for a moment, almost making Sasuke regret his words. Almost.

“Yeah, I would want you around,” He answered sounding all serious and throwing Sasuke off for a second. “I think I would actually feel strange if you weren’t around anymore,” Naruto added then and Sasuke felt something pull at his heart from the pure honesty behind those words. It was almost scary how serious the blond was. There were some strong emotions intertwined with those words and Sasuke wasn’t sure how to react to them. Wasn’t sure if he could even interpret them properly, much less react accordingly.

“You’ll manage,” Sasuke said in all seriousness then took a swig from his bottle before placing it beside him again. He drew his legs closer to his body and threw an arm over his knees to keep them there.

Naruto stared quietly at him while taking another drag of his cigarette, as if he was trying to see inside of Sasuke’s head and read his thought. What did Sasuke mean that the blond ‘would manage’? Did he plan on leaving him after all of this was over or was he thinking that Naruto would forget about him at some point? Although both of these theories were absurd. Naruto didn’t think that he would be able to forget about him even if he wanted to and he thought that Sasuke knew that. How does one forget fourteen years of conscious life, anyway? When you exclude amnesia, the blond didn’t think it was possible.

As it turned out, Naruto wasn’t so good at mind-reading as he wished he had been so in the end, he dropped it. Sometimes Sasuke turned into this impenetrable forth and locked his feeling and emotions very safely behind his stoic mask. It was a defense mechanism of sorts and Naruto knew that the raven wouldn’t tell him what he meant even if he begged. And Naruto Uzumaki didn’t beg.

He settled for just looking at him. He rarely ever thought about it, and had never admitted it out loud in fear of getting kicked in the shin, but Sasuke was really attractive. Not like he didn’t know it already but there was something about his pale skin that shone under the moonlight, looking almost transparent, that was actually worth mentioning. Naruto was sometimes mesmerized by how flawless the other boy’s skin was. Most people their age had acne or at least freckles when you were that pale, but not Sasuke. The blond guessed it had to do something with the fact that he kinda looked Asian too, but just a little. His eyes weren’t that narrowed, or well, when he wasn’t glaring, but there was that look of his that spoke of Asian ancestors. It was a pity they didn’t know their parents, he could tell that Sasuke’s mom would have been an absolute beauty.

The long dark bangs were hanging over the raven’s face, framing it perfectly and complimenting his eyes that were just as dark. Naruto often made fun of that duck-butt hair style, but truth be told, he didn’t think anyone else could ever wear it and still look as attractive. Not that the blond was attracted to Sasuke or anything, no, he was just able to admit that his best friend was very good-looking. He knew how many girls, and even boys, fawned over Sasuke and dreamed to be in his company and to eventually become his friend in hopes that it would later lead them to having something more. He could see why, really, but that didn’t make it any less annoying. Mostly because they were fawning only over his looks and never cared enough to get to know him properly. And maybe that was one of the reasons the raven had become so guarded around strangers and people he didn't know that much.

Annoyed as he was at those people though, Naruto wasn’t worried. He knew that Sasuke hardly ever warmed up to anyone out of his own free will. The most he ever did with others was act civil, nothing more and nothing less. The only person he ever talked so much with, or actually did anything with for that matter, was Naruto, and honestly, the blond felt so privileged at times because of that. There were people out there that were ready to give an eye to spend a day with Sasuke, but no, he always chose the blond idiot who annoyed the living shit out of him most often than not.

The fact that he was Sasuke’s only real friend, even if he never stopped chattering and was all in all his complete opposite, made him feel kinda special. Yeah, he knew how sappy and girly that sounded, but it was still the truth.

“Take a picture, loser, it will last longer,” And then the blond remembered why he always fought with his best friend. Rolling his blue eyes, he glanced quickly upwards and decided to act clueless.

“What are you talking about?” He asked nonchalantly, gaze still on the sky.

“Don’t act even dumber, moron, I could probably feel your eyes digging a hole in my temple,” Sasuke answered, a smirk obvious in his voice.

“Yeah, you wish,” He shot back. “Like anyone would like to look at your ass of a face,”

“Well at least people prefer to look at my ‘ass of a face’ instead of your moronic expression,” Sasuke answered conversationally.

“Yeah, pity them people don’t know not only your face looks like an ass, but your personality is another huge one too,” Usually by now the argument would have been pretty heated, but they were both so tired that it sounded like a casual formality. Some pretty informal, friendly formality with hints of badly hidden amusement.

“Next time I’ll write it on my forehead just like you like to write with big, bold letter on yours that you’re an idiot,” Sasuke said and threw the butt of his cigarette out of the pickup. Naruto followed his example, throwing away his, and then grabbed his bottle again. While he was taking the last sip of the drink, he used his unoccupied hand to hit Sasuke on the shoulder.

The raven waited until Naruto had finished drinking and hit him back. Harder.

“Oh shit, asshole, this is war!” Naruto told him with a huge grin on his face, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Bring it on then!” He answered with a smirk and before he could finish his sentence, the blond was already reaching out to hit him, but of course the raven had expected that, so he grabbed his friend’s hand by the wrist and pulled. Naruto was caught by surprise at first but recovered quickly and twisted his body so he would tackle Sasuke by falling down on top of him.

Not one to be outdone, Sasuke tried twisting under his friend until he had turned over and the blond was practically straddling him while Sasuke was propped up on the side wall of the back of the pickup. Okay, so this hadn’t gone as planned, but that didn’t mean he was going to lose this one. He reached out with his free hand and pulled at one of Naruto’s blond strands, making the blond's head go to the left. Then the boy on top quickly slapped the hand away and grabbed it by the wrist, pinning it beside Sasuke’s head. He freed his other one from the raven’s grasp and reached out and did what Sasuke hated the most. Ruffled his hair and effectively made his friend scowl and then glare at him.

Sasuke managed to get his hand free and used the fact that Naruto was standing unsteadily on his knees to roll them over and grab Naruto’s hands, pinning them above the blond’s head and then smirking at the boy beneath him.

Naruto growled and in a second, he used all of his strength to roll them over again until they were a hair away from falling down from the pickup. He dug his knees in Sasuke’s sides and sat on his hips while holding the pale hands secured on either side of his best friend’s head.

Sasuke scowled while struggling against the other's surprisingly strong grip. Why did the idiot have to straddle him like that? He tried harder to fight it but to no avail. He looked up to glare at the blond but his intentions died down when his gaze fell on big, slightly smug, but really happy blue eyes which were staring right at him. As it turned out, staring into Naruto’s eyes was all it took for Sasuke to be brought back down to earth and finally comprehend the position he was in. No, the position _they_ were in.

Naruto was straddling him and fidgeting a lot because it was clearly an uncomfortable seat for him. Sasuke was pinned down and helpless, probably looked very disheveled and vulnerable right now too, and the scariest part was that he didn’t seem to care. Usually he hated being dominated by someone, even if it was Naruto, no, scratch that, especially if it was Naruto, and he hated loosing fights with him even more. But somehow, right now, he didn’t seem to mind that he had obviously lost the playful fight and he was somewhat frustrated with himself because he didn’t seem to find a reasonable explanation to that. He had never backed down so easily before, so why suddenly start now?

The raven felt a hot puff of air wash over his face and suddenly became very aware of Naruto. Of how close the blond’s face seemed to be to his and how his skin seemed to feel so hot against his own where he was holding him by the wrists. Of how dark those blue eyes seemed at night and how there was just a slightly noticeable dimple in the corner of Naruto’s mouth when he smirked like that, and how the barely visible whisker-like scars on his cheeks stretched with his grin. He could still remember very clearly the day he had obtained them and how hard Sasuke had tried after that to stop his friend from crying. It was a day he was sure the blond also remembered all too well. There wasn't much he could really say about it except for how disgusted he was with kids and how cruel they could be.

And then Naruto began laughing, dispelling the gloomy mood Sasuke's thoughts had put him into and the raven couldn’t decide if he was thankful for that or if he wanted to hit the blond over the head for ruining the moment. At the end he decided to be thankful, but still hit his friend when he managed to get his hands free.

“Ow, what was that for?” The blond asked through laughter, rubbing the spot on his head and watching how his friend propped himself up on his elbows.

“What are you laughing at, moron?” Naruto’s shoulders just seemed to shake more at the question.

“It’s just that… oh man, you should totally see your hair right now,” The raven rolled his eyes and used the distraction to throw the blond off of him.

“Whatever, it’s your fault anyway. And besides, yours also looks like a cow had licked it so stop laughing already,” Sasuke said and went back to sit on his previous place. He secretly reached up to his head to smooth his black locks before Naruto could see him.

Naruto followed him soon after, not laughing but still grinning, his face flushed probably from the exertion from their fight and the laughter afterwards. Sasuke’s was probably flushed too but he feared it was because of an entirely different reason. A reason he wasn’t ready to dwell on just yet because it just wasn’t something that had ever happened before so it was all very confusing.

“Hey, what about we sleep out here tonight?” Naruto asked suddenly and without really thinking about it, Sasuke nodded. “Great, ‘cause I’m so tired I doubt I would’ve even managed to get inside,” The blond said and it was a miracle Sasuke understood the last couple of words because they were said through a yawn.

Sliding down the back of the car, Naruto was soon lying on his side, snuggled in on himself and yawning again.

“I can’t wait to finally get to Lewistown. And then to Sullivan. And then we can finally relax for real, right?” He asked, looking up to his raven friend, his eyes already hooded with sleep.

“Hn, I hope so,” Sasuke answered, and it appeared like that was all Naruto had needed to hear.

“G’night, Sasuke,” The blond murmured, already sounding in a haze and the raven was amazed once again of how fast his best friend could change moods. One second he was all over the place, then he was sleepy before he got all hyperactive again for about five minutes, until he couldn’t hold his eyes open.

‘ _Typical Naruto_ ,’ Sasuke smirked.

“Good night,” He wished back quietly, even though he was aware that Naruto had already drifted off to la-la-land. His breathing had evened out so he was obviously sound asleep already. And even though Sasuke himself had slept very little, even less than Naruto if he had to be honest, sleep didn’t approach him for a long time that night and he blamed it all on his brain, which had suddenly decided that it was a good thing to start messing with him.

He tossed and turned for hours on end until it was way into the little hours of the night. And when he finally managed to drift to sleep himself, the image of Naruto’s big blue eyes so close to his face combined his playful smirk haunted Sasuke's dreams.

* * *

 **A/N:** And that was chapter 4 for you! I really hope you liked it and I'll be expecting your reviews on it. Next chapter is called "Come out, come out wherever you are" and I'll leave it to you to decipher what it could possibly entail. **  
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	5. Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are

**A/N:** Wow, here I am again with another chapter! I feel like I'm a little late with it but I'm down with the flu right now and just today felt well enough to use my computer.  
Anyway, in this chapter we'll meet another important character for the story. I hope you know who I'm talking about lol. And let me tell you, this chapter gave me a couple of hundred headaches. It needed so fucking much proofreading and rewriting! It took me more than day to make it at least a little bit presentable. I seriously don't know in what kind of a state of mind I was when I wrote that because I kept on cringing while reading it at first and I really hope it has turned out at least slightly better in the end.

Okay now, no more whining on my part and on with the chapter!

* * *

 

The next morning Sasuke was awoken by the feeling of something tickling the back of his neck. He opened his dark eyes and found himself still lying on the back of the pickup. The sun was up and about, the sky was clear and the birds were chirping around the grass field. He didn’t get the chance to appreciate the morning any further though, because another hot puff of air washed over his neck, causing goosebumps to race down his spine.

He forced his still foggy mind to clear up a little and unfortunately, he became aware of a hand thrown over his mid-section and a leg resting over both of his. His back also felt way too warm for comfort and it took the raven a minute to realize what was going on. When he did though, Sasuke’s eyes widened. The first thing he wanted to do was to just scramble up to his feet as fast as he could and get away from the blond who was so obviously spooning him. Then, on a second thought, the raven decided that this wouldn’t be the best course of action because there was a huge chance of waking up Naruto in the process and he didn't think either of them were ready to deal with the embarrassment from what was obviously happening. So, instead of just kicking the blond away, he took a deep, calming breath and looked down at himself, focusing on the first limb blocking his escape.

Sasuke reached slowly for the hand that was keeping him so close to Naruto’s body and slowly lifted it. He placed it back between them and not a second later realized what an awfully miscalculated move on his part that was. Now, with every breath the blond took, Sasuke could feel that hand touching his ass. And then, every time Naruto exhaled, the raven’s focus shifted to his neck where he felt the blond’s hot breath, which in turn made his face flush and goosebumps rise on his skin repeatedly every two seconds.

Another calming breath was clearly needed but it turned out that it didn’t help him all that much in the end.

Trying to ignore the sensory overload he would bound to soon get, Sasuke reached for the next obstacle, which happened to be in the form of a leg. When he put his hand on the knee though, Naruto had the audacity to sigh form behind him and Sasuke swore that every hair on his body rose from the long wash of hot air over his sensitive skin. Holding his breath, and praying that Naruto wouldn’t wake up, the raven slowly pushed the leg back until it wasn’t blocking his movements anymore.

The Uchiha was just about to sigh in relief when he heard the blond mumble something in his sleep from behind him and then start to shuffle around, making Sasuke freeze in his spot again. He then realized his hand was still on Naruto’s leg and he quickly removed it from there in case his friend woke up.

A moment later Sasuke was deeply contemplating if he wanted to thank the blond for not waking up or strangle him. Because even if the hand from his ass was now gone, Naruto had shifted in such a way that his knee was now replacing said hand. 

As it turned out, a third deep breath did even less of a job of calming the raven when there was something on his ass.

The good news was that at least he was now free, so first chance he got, Sasuke rolled as far away from the blond as he could and got up to his feet. He then threw a quick glare at Naruto who had a very pleased smirk on his lips, looking way too smug for someone who was supposed to be asleep. Sasuke was again half tempted to kill him and he couldn’t have been awake for more than two minutes.

The urge then, thankfully, went away when Sasuke realized that there was another, way more urgent feeling coming from his bladder, meaning he didn’t have the time to commit homicide. He was going to leave way too much evidence if he didn’t go soon anyway, so he went to the edge of the pickup, jumped down on the grass, and walked for a while until he could hide behind a tall tree and do his job.

* * *

Naruto had awoken the moment he had felt his best friend stiffened under his hand. The blond wasn’t sure if Sasuke was aware of the choked sound he had made in that moment but he guessed not. Truth be told, he was also a little surprised of the position they were in but instead of giving Sasuke any sings that he was awake too, and thus making the situation worse, he decided it was best to let Sasuke get up and leave so he could conveniently wake up a minute or two later and act like nothing had happened.

Also, it was so much funnier to be messing with Sasuke’s seven feet radius of personal space while using the excuse that he was asleep so that he wouldn’t get a fist to the stomach for it.

When he felt his hand being grabbed by the wrist and lifted, he smirked at the plan which immediately popped up in his head. And when the hand was placed between their bodies, he almost laughed because Sasuke had basically done that to himself. The back of his hand was now touching the raven’s ass and Naruto could see the red spreading over his friend’s neck and ears. He could only imagine the state in which the pale face was in right now and he barely suppressed the urge to laugh.

Another deep breath was taken and then there was a hand on his knee. Now, Naruto was completely aware of the effects his breath had on Sasuke’s neck and how goosebumps spread over it almost every time he exhaled. Sighing was something he did just to watch the raven squirm and almost shake from the wave of goosebumps it caused. Naruto wasn’t sure why he liked to mess with Sasuke so much but he guessed it might have something to do with the fact that he could never get the chance to do it in such a way when he was ‘awake’.

Figuring out that Sasuke was almost free now, Naruto decided to give him one last moment of torment before letting him get up. So with a very incoherent mumble under his breath, he began to shift and with triumph noticed that Sasuke had stiffened once again. The blond turned just enough so his knee would be right under his friends ass and this time the raven's blush was far more intense. He had a hard time keeping his face emotionless and his features smooth when Sasuke finally rolled over and got up. In the end, Naruto wasn’t sure if he had managed to keep his face as stoic as he had wanted it to be, but who could blame him? Sasuke was hilarious when he got worked up like that.

Oh, Naruto could only imagine the heated glare he was receiving right then. He could actually feel it if he focused hard enough and yet again, the blond felt like laughing. How threatening could a glare look when combined with an intense blush? Exactly.

When Sasuke had put enough distance between himself and the pickup, the blond finally allowed himself to snicker a little and then sit up. He stretched and almost moaned with satisfaction when he felt and heard a couple of his joints pop. He hadn’t gotten such a nice night of sleep in a while, even if he hadn’t really slept on a bed and it wasn’t somewhere indoors.

He took a look around himself and smiled brightly at the beautiful morning. He decided that yes, today would surely be a great day.

“What are you smiling at, idiot?” Sasuke asked, and Naruto was surprised he hadn’t seen him, nor heard him nearing.

“Good morning to you too,” He answered and watched the raven roll his eyes. Naruto didn’t fail to notice the pink still dusting the pale skin and smirked to himself, knowing he was the reason behind it. “And since when am I not allowed to smile?” He asked.

“And since when am I not allowed to ask?” Sasuke countered back with an arched eyebrow and walked towards the back door of the car. He opened it and took two packaged sandwiches, one of which he threw Naruto's. The blond caught it effortlessly and begun unwrapping it, quietly humming some random tune which even he himself couldn’t recognize.

Instead of getting back up on the pickup, Sasuke sat on the back seat and began eating his breakfast there.

“So, I guess that by noon we’ll be in Lewistown, right?” Naruto asked in between bites.

“If everything goes smoothly, yes,” Sasuke said after a while when he swallowed the food in his mouth.

“I wonder if they’re still searching for us,” The blond said off handedly and took another bite from his breakfast, obviously deep in thought. “I mean, to them we’re just some stupid underage criminals who steal for a living and for the most part they are right so I don’t see why they would be so fixated on us,”

“They aren’t,” Sasuke said matter-of-factly and then, after taking another bite from his breakfast, he continued. “They think it would be easy to capture us again so they don’t take any precautions against us except for notifying some random police stations, thinking we’re dumb enough to let ourselves be caught. And even if they’ve notified the other states already, I doubt we’ll be that wanted there if it weren’t for the car. Although, even with the car, to them, we still aren’t people worth that much of a sweat because we’re classified as easily captured,” Sasuke explained.

“Gee, I’ve never heard someone explain an advantage so pessimistically. You keep on amazing me more and more, Sasuke,” Naruto said in fake awe and heard his friend snort from his seat and then mutter something that sounded suspiciously much like ‘moron’.

“But either way, I guess you’re right. Being underestimated so much is actually our strongest advantage at the moment and the reason they almost never get us,” The blond said with a thoughtful look on his face. Even that time a couple of months ago, when they had managed to catch them, it had happened to be pure luck on the police’s part. They had stopped by a gas station that time and when they had walked in to pay for the gas and get some stuff, there were a couple of cops in there who in the beginning hadn’t even payed them enough heed to notice them, let alone recognize them. When in the end the cops had finally realized who they were though, they had chased them, and in turn, Naruto and Sasuke had tried to escape. But they had been still in the city so they were easily cornered and caught.

Moral of the story, when you are underage, no one takes you seriously, most of all, the cops. So in hopes that this time it would be the same, they finished their breakfast and got in the car, ready to get on the road again. Or well, right after they stopped by a gas station so the raven could get his much needed dose of caffeine.  

* * *

As it turned out, they crossed the border and the Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge fairly easily with as little trouble as possible. They weren’t surprised though, they already knew they weren’t the cops’ first priority so at around one in the afternoon they were already entering their destination. And then, not ten minutes after they had been in Lewistown, Naruto had decided that lunch was what they needed first.

Very reluctantly Sasuke had stopped by a food stand where they sold hotdogs and then was even less reluctant to admit to the blond that at the sight of the food his stomach had growled. So in the end, he didn’t admit it at all and skillfully ignored the pointed look Naruto was throwing in his direction.

“So, how about we split up and save some time while searching?” Naruto suggested after taking a couple of bites from his lunch.

“Sounds like a plan which would have worked if I could trust you not to get lost,” Sasuke answered very nonchalantly, not once lifting his gaze from his hotdog, though it was pretty obvious he was amused.

“That was one time, Sasuke! One! Time!” The blond exclaimed and then turned his head to the side with a pout.

“One time in this town,” The raven corrected him with a smirk and watched as a glare appear on the blond’s face which was nowhere close to intimidating when there was still a pout on that same face. “God, you’re such a child,” The raven muttered with a roll of his eyes. “Fine. We’ll go to the city hall and split up from there. I suggest we search what we search and in four hours sharp we return to the point we started from,”

They still didn’t have anything to communicate with between each other when they weren’t together and also, in four hours, the sun would start to head lower. It would be a pain to try and search for Naruto in the dark.

Thankfully, the blond had agreed to the plan and Sasuke didn’t need to explain his reasoning any further like usual. Although the plan was as much as Naruto’s as it was his.

* * *

“Okay, your watch is set with mine, right?” The raven asked.

They were in front of the City Hall, a location that anyone from the towns' folks could point you towards in case you got lost. Or, well, in case Naruto got lost, though Sasuke was only teasing him earlier. He knew the blond would find his way back.

“Yeah, yeah, stop acting like you’re my mother,” Naruto waved his hand dismissively and Sasuke rolled his eyes at the childish behavior.

“Fine, just be here at five thirty,” He said and turned on his heels to walk away.

Naruto mocked him from behind his back and then turned around himself to start walking down the street in the opposite direction so that he could begin his searching too.

Really, he didn’t get what was Sasuke’s problem. Yeah, he got lost maybe once or twice before but it was a very long while ago and when he was still new to the city. He didn’t see that as enough of a reason to be held on a leash. Further more, he now had a really good sense of direction thanks so living on the streets for so long.

‘ _Okay now, time to focus,_ ’ he told himself. His pace quickened and his gaze sharpened. It was Thursday which meant that if Deidara had really opened his own salon, it had to be open that day. Also, it was a little after lunch-break so if he indeed was there, he had to be working right now. Resolved an determined, Naruto began pacing the streets, his eyes scanning every building, shop, and window he passed, all in hopes of coming across a hair-salon or better yet, a tall, blond male with blue eyes.

How hard could it really be?

* * *

As it turned out it wasn’t that easy and Naruto and Sasuke both began to realize that at around the same time.

Sasuke had tried asking the people he came across about the man they were searching for and every time someone gave him directions, he just couldn’t seem to find the right place. And to him that meant that he was either really dense with directions or the town's folks just didn’t know who he was talking about and Sasuke couldn’t decide which of the two was worse.

On the other part of town Naruto had tried the same thing and so far had had the same luck. People obviously didn’t seem to know anything about the person they were looking for and it was getting kinda tiring to continue.

Glancing at his watch, he noted it was nearing four and he was beginning to get frustrated. Maybe Deidara just wasn’t there anymore and that was that. Or he hadn’t opened a hair-salon like he had said he would and it was just pointless to be searching for him like that.

Either way, if neither of them had any luck for another half an hour, they would have to continue on their way and just go to Sullivan in search for Sai… ‘ _Whoever that is,’_ Naruto thought bitterly. Sasuke refused to tell him no matter what and it was beginning to piss the blond off. He was going to meet him soon either way, right? So he didn’t get what was Sasuke’s problem with telling him, although he was willing to let it slide for now because what he did get was that the raven was just quirky like that at times. And besides, finding Deidara seemed more important right now than Sasuke’s mysterious acquaintances, although Naruto could tell with certainty that there was something fishy about the whole secret keeping.

It turned out that time passed by incredibly fast, and at around five thirty, the duo met again in front of the city hall. Sasuke was wearing a deep frown and Naruto looked exhausted, frustrated and in disbelief all at once.

The blond sat on the steps in front of the hall and propped his chin on the palm of his hand, looking all in all disappointed as he sighed.

“Any luck?” He asked, even though he was sure he knew the answer to that already.

Sasuke just shook his head and sat beside him, mimicking his pose.

“What now? Should we just go to Sullivan and find someone there?” He suggested

“Hn,” Was the so very helpful response to which Naruto just rolled his blue eyes, now annoyed even more than before when the raven didn't appear to want to cooperate with him in the forming of a new plan .

“Or..,” The blond waited until he was sure Sasuke was listening. “I came across a couple of hair-salons here and a shop that sold lenses and all sorts of that mascaraed stuff. We can buy wigs or something,” He explained.

“For the last time, moron, with what money? We have around fifty something and we’ll need it for gas. Also, we need to eat every now and again,” Sasuke said, sounding tired. Naruto then just sighed. It hadn’t been more than two days after their escape and things were already looking bad.

“Okay, well… um, maybe we can just buy hair dye and…” The blond didn’t get to finish because Sasuke cut him off.

“So what if we do? Our ID’s and driving licenses still state quite clearly who we really are,” Sasuke pointed out and another exasperated sigh left the blond. Then he just groaned and turned his head to look at Sasuke, apparently exasperated and out of optimism.

“Well then what was the whole point of searching for Deidara then? Yeah, maybe he’ll give us free haircuts, so what? He won’t be bale to make us up some fake personalities,” Naruto countered, throwing his hands in the air. Why were they going through all that hassle if it wouldn't do them any good in the end?

Now it was Sasuke’s turn to sigh as if he was trying to explain to a toddler what nuclear engineering was.

“Yes, but he was doing god’s know what illegal stuff for so long that he’s bound to know someone who can get us legit fakes. The change in looks would be just a bonus,” Sasuke explained and he could practically feel the realization setting upon Naruto’s face. After a moment the blond just nodded to himself, obviously calmer but not in a better mood. He leaned back on the steps and turned his gaze to the street in front of them. His head was beginning to hurt after all that. Nothing seemed to get them anywhere, so Naruto had decided to just let his mind relax for a couple of minutes. Maybe then he would be able to think of something which could help them.

It was getting dark, but still neither of them moved to get back to the car. They watched for a while as people passed by, some with kids, others alone. There were couples going for night walks or on a date. Occasionally cars passed on the street too while Naruto and Sasuke just sat there and watched, letting the calm of the little city wash over them and hopefully calm their thought too.

So what if Deidara wasn’t there? They could probably still manage. And Naruto doubted the blond male was the only one with contacts in the underworld. He was sure they would be bale to find another way to get new ID’s. Maybe if they searched for someone else they’ll have more luck. Maybe Sasuke’s friend knew someone too. There were a lot of possibilities and that made Naruto’s raging thoughts calm down significantly. Probably this wasn’t the case with Sasuke yet and he was still dwelling on their failure but he rarely ever let himself relax anyway so the blond didn’t want to deal with his bad moods right now. He was bound to drop it soon anyway, it wasn’t like he had a choice in the matter.

Naruto looked around at the people and enjoyed the sounds of talking and laughter surrounding them which he didn’t get the chance to even notice earlier. He watched the smiles on people’s faces which in turn made him smile just a little bit himself, wondering if they could ever be just like those people. Seemingly careless and free, not afraid to go out in public or stay in the same city for long.

Then, a somewhat familiar figure passed in front of the blond’s gaze and, eyes widening, Naruto shot up from his seat immediately. That managed to pull Sasuke out from whatever state of depressed or angry sulking he was in, but before the raven could ask his partner what was going on, Naruto had already bolted across the street and was talking animatedly to what appeared to be a complete stranger from Sasuke's point of view.

The Uchiha contemplated for a while whether to go there too or wait until Naruto came back, and soon he decided on the latter. He didn’t feel in the mood to deal with people anyway. His best friend was more than enough for him right now, though he would be lying if he said his curiosity wasn’t piqued by the stranger.He knew he probably should be able to recognize him, considering Naruto had, but the raven just couldn't make out his features in the dimming light of the day.

He stared intently at them, waiting for the blond to just get back there so they could finally go back to the car and make up a new plan. Sasuke might not have realized it, but at some point, he had begun to glare. He wasn’t sure if he was subconsciously trying to compel Naruto to turn around and walk back to him or just set him on fire for suddenly running across the street and leaving him there without so much as uttering a word, but when Naruto turned around and waved at him to come over with a huge grin plastered on his face, the raven realized that there was probably ‘homicide’ written all over his face. He dropped the glare that had been apparently scaring off many of the passers-by and got up to his feet.

Dusting off his jeans, Sasuke frowned and crossed the street, a little wary of that stranger even if Naruto seemed to be so happy to see him. Sometimes the blond was like a little puppy, he was happy to see almost anyone he came across, so of course Sasuke wouldn’t trust his judgment all of the time.

When he finally got there though, the raven’s eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the shock of red hair and the emotionless brown eyes, now a lot more recognizable. How come Naruto had been able to spot him in the dark and the raven hadn’t even after staring at him from across the street for a couple of minutes?

“Sasori,” He said slowly as his eyebrows were pulled into a deeper frown.

“The one and only,” An even, emotionless voice met his ears, confirming that yes, that was the redhead he had thought it was. “So, I hear you two are in trouble again,” He said, arching his eyebrow as if asking for confirmation. Seriously, with him it was hard to tell sometimes if he was asking you a something or just stating what he knew.

“Not really. Or not yet at least,” The raven answered, trying to sound nonchalant about it while putting his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “And because we don’t want to be in any trouble in the future, we’re searching for Deidara. Do you, by any chance, know where we might find him?” He asked, never once braking eye-contact. To put it mildly, Sasori also wasn’t someone Sasuke was very keen on, but then again, he rarely ever liked someone so nothing new there.

“And how, if you don’t mind me asking, do you think he might be able to help you?”

Sasuke opened his mouth to tell the redhead that he did mind and that it wasn’t any of his business, but before anything could leave his mouth, Naruto opened his big one and began talking, making himself the object of a heated glare that he very skillfully ignored.

“Well, you see we need to hide for a while who we really are and we figured that he can help us a little. What with him being a hairstylist and all. That is if he is still in town though,” Naruto said, completely ignoring the growl that emitted from Sasuke and waiting for Sasori to confirm whether the hairdresser was still there or not, or if he was even a hairdresser at all for that matter.

“Well then, you have some luck because I was just heading towards his place,” Sasori said with something akin to amusement in his voice.

“Cool, can we come with you and talk to him?” Naruto asked hopefully and this time a small smile did crack on the redhead’s face.

“Sure, just follow me,” He said smoothly and began walking again. Naruto soon fell in step with Sasori and Sasuke now had no choice but to follow too.

Seriously, sometimes the raven thought that Naruto could make even a boulder smile if he tried hard enough. Although he wasn’t really sure if what they saw was a smile they should trust.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke both were a hair away from face-palming when it turned out that Deidara lived just a street away from the city hall which meant that they had both been so close all of that time. On the other hand though, they had no way of knowing that little piece of information, but still, it was kinda dumb how they spent so much time searching for the man while he had been right under their noses.

They walked into the building and, following the redhead, they all entered the elevator. Sasori pressed the button for the seventh floor and waited for the automatic doors to close and then for the cramped car to take them to their destination.

With every passing floor they could hear some techno music getting louder and louder until just a minute later it got pretty obvious from where it was coming from, making Naruto and Sasuke realize that Deidara wouldn’t be just lying on his couch and watching TV right now. Maybe that’s why Sasuke had felt like that smile they had seen earlier wasn’t to be trusted. As is appeared, they had been dragged to a party.

They were right to bet about the music, because as it turned out, the door to the blond’s apartment wasn’t even locked, and when Sasori pushed it open, there were quite some people inside, all of which had drinks in their hands and were in a way too good of a mood. It still wasn’t anywhere near a wild party, but in their defense, it was still little to seven in the evening. Also, it turned out that Naruto and Sasuke knew some of the people in there. Not even half of them, but still, it was nice to have a familiar face or two when you were apparently suddenly thrown in a place full of half-drunk people. Although it was very doubtful that Naruto was going to complain about that.

Deidara was nowhere to be found but that didn’t stop them from confidently walking in the spacious apartment alongside with the redhead that had brought them there.

A couple of heads whipped to stare at the newcomers and soon some wicked grins were spreading too when it appeared that they had been recognized from some of the people.

“Yo, it’s my favorite brat!” A big, bulky man exclaimed and got up from his seat on the couch. To anyone else it would have probably been very intimidating to see the wall of a man walking slowly in your direction with that wicked smirk splitting his face, but Naruto just grinned back at him with a mischievous glint in his blue eyes and took a step forward himself.

“Hey there, fishface!” He exclaimed back. “I see you still haven’t made it to the sushi market, huh?” He asked with a smirk and almost everyone present in the room suddenly went quiet, while others just shook their heads. Most of the people there turned to stare at the blond teen in disbelief and shock, as if he had grown another head and a set of wings too, and Naruto could actually understand why. Many of them were scared of Kisame. He was a little on the psycho side most of the time and they were all well aware of what he was capable of. You never knew when something in his head was going to click but Naruto wasn’t afraid of the man in the least.

Kisame shook his head and to the surprise of many in the room, he actually laughed, clearly making them more uneasy about the whole situation than they already were.

“I see you’re still as obnoxious and annoying as ever,” He said in a low voice, looking almost threatening while still shaking his head with that grin pulling at his lips. He took a couple of steps towards the blond and in a swift and very quick movement, got him into a head lock, surprising even more the on-lookers.

“Hey, let go of me!” Naruto began to struggle, though he was still laughing all in the same. He had met Kisame about a year ago, here in Lewistown, in a little supermarket in one of the more shady parts of town. He had almost picked a fight the huge man right off the bat. They had actually made friends because the older male had liked that Naruto had guts and hadn’t appear to be afraid of him. That wasn’t something he saw often, if at all.

Beside them, Sasori and Sasuke both shook their heads and walked further into the living room, apparently used to the antics of both of those overgrown children.

“Where’s Deidara?” Sasuke asked no one in particular but managed to get the attention of almost everyone except for the two still wrestling behind him.

“Right about here, hn!” Someone shouted in his ear, successfully startling the raven. Suddenly two hands were wrapped around his body, almost lifting him off the ground, and making Sasuke close his eyes in irritation. He began to slowly count to ten in his head. ‘ _We need him. We need him to do us a favor._ ’ He tried to repeat that to himself, but in the end, just when he had reached two, he snapped at the invasive blond.

“Get those hands away from me if you wish to keep them,” Sasuke said in a low voice that would have probably frozen over the pits of hell. But apparently it didn't affect Deidara much and just like Naruto, he seemed to be immune to the Uchiha glares and threats, and basically all that went with the Uchiha name. ‘ _Must be the hair color. Explains why they are both so idiotic._ ’ Sasuke thought.

“Gee, who shoved that stick so far up your ass, hn?” The blond asked, still grinning while he let go of Sasuke. His hair was just like the raven remembered it. The upper part of it caught in a ponytail while the rest of it spilled freely over the expense of his back, with his left eye still covered by the bangs. He was currently wearing black, skinny leather pants and a black wife-beater and so his clothes made great contrast with his pale skin, blond hair and blue eyes.

“Hey, those are my words!” Naruto exclaimed happily with a grin, just as wide as the one on Deidara’s face. That grin made a certain someone’s glare intensify tenfold and Sasuke couldn’t help but wish Kisame had actually chocked his traitor of a friend to death. Then Naruto turned to look at him and smiled cheekily. “Careful there Sasuke, you might accidently set Dei’s apartment on fire,” He said, and to top it all off, he had the audacity to poke the Uchiha’s cheek with a finger which was more than enough to set the raven off. Worst part was, Sasuke knew that Naruto was messing with him on purpose. Actually, that was the sole reason why he was trying so hard not to lash out and let the blond win.

Laughter erupted around the room and Sasuke felt like biting Naruto’s finger off but decided that would be very immature on his part and below his class, so instead, he tried to calm himself. It didn’t really work but he at least managed to mask some of his anger.

“If I set this place on fire it wouldn’t be an accident. Accidents are your specialty, moron.” The raven countered, acid dripping from his voice but Naruto just rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” The blond said dismissively and turned to Deidara. “Don’t mind him, he’s been cranky all day,” Naruto explained with a grin.

“Nah, don’t worry, I’m used to his attitude. I’m sure that deep, deep down, under all of those glares and threats, and under that thick ice surrounding his almost nonexistent heart, he loves me,” The taller blond laughed and went towards the kitchen to open the refrigerator.

“That’s very optimistic of you. I’m not really sure if he actually has a heart, but fine, if you say so,” Naruto said in response, obviously very amused by himself. Their host just snorted inside of the fridge in amusement.

“So, do you guys want a beer or something?” He asked, looking at them over his shoulder and meeting heroically the ice cold glare thrown towards him by a pair of obsidian eyes. And oh how Sasuke hated the fact that all blonds seemed to be immune to his glares. Maybe it was a thing of nature, he decided. Because they were so annoying and dense, nature made them in a way that they would be resistant to such glares that would otherwise make you curl in on yourself and cry. Yeah, nature was the one to blame here.

“Why are you even asking?” Naruto grinned and went to sit on the couch like he was at home.

Kisame sat on one side of Naruto, while Sasuke, very reluctantly if he may add, with his arms now crossed over his chest and his glare still intact, sat on his other one.

Deidara returned with two beers and sat on the couch opposite them between a tall a boy that looked somewhere around their age, with violet eyes and white, almost bluish hair, and Yahiko, a tall guy with orange hair and apparently an addiction to piercings.

He threw each of the newcomers a beer except for Sasori who appeared to feel at home enough to get his drink by himself.

“Oh and, um,” Deidara glanced to Sasuke’s right side where a tall guy with obnoxiously red hair was sitting. Then with a frown Deidara reached down towards the coffee table and grabbed a remote control from there with which he turned down the volume of the music. Then he pointed at the redhead with his index finger. “This is Nagato,” He then pointed to the next person who happened to be a woman with blue hair and blue eyes. “Konan, Zetsu you already know,” The tall guy with the green hair nodded at them with a very wicked and unsettling grin. “That on the armchair over there is Tobi,” The guy waved at them with such enthusiasm, he could probably put Naruto's one to shame. And that was actually saying something. “This grinning punk on my right is Suigetsu, Yahiko you'refamiliar with, that’s Kakuzu and I believe Sasori and Kisame I won’t need to introduce. And since you already know everyone here, how about you tell us how you got here, hn? Weren’t you, like, thrown in that dumb up in Minnesota or something?”

“We were,” Naruto cleared. “Long story short, we escaped first chance we got, stole the night-guard’s car and we’ve been on the run ever since. That happened roughly two nights ago,” Naruto explained, glancing at the faces around the table

“So then I'm guessing that the police are after you,” Yahiko stated calmly, looking straight at Naruto.

“Just about right,” The blond answered with a nod and then pursed lips in detest. ”Well, technically they aren’t yet, but we suspect that very soon they will be,” He then added.

“And you want our help, correct?” Yahiko asked just as calmly, though he was smiling, making Naruto grin brightly and sheepishly scratch the back of his head. He opened his mouth to answer but was saved the trouble when someone beat him to the punch.

“I’m in,” Kisame declared. “But how about we leave that for tomorrow when we can actually compile a legit plan? I came here to have fun tonight and won’t let these two brats ruin it for me,” He put his hand on Naruto’s head and ruffled his blond locks roughly, purposely bringing attention to the fact that he was way younger just to spite him. The teen, of course, tried to get away, but when Kisame didn’t let go of him, he growled.

“Let go of me you sushi roll!” He barked and attempted to slap the hand away. 

“Hey, look who’s talking. If it isn’t _Fishcake_ ,” Kisame said snidely while a slow grin spread over his features.

“At least I don’t _look_ like a fish,” Naruto said with a frown, finally managing to get away from the offending hand and crossing his arms over his chest.

“Yeah, well at least I don’t smell like one,” Kisame grinned, waving a hand in front of his nose.

“And gladly, I don’t have the brains of one,” Naruto said in triumph, apparently thinking he had won the verbal spar and almost making Sasuke face-palm from beside him. How he could have made best friends with such an idiot was way beyond him and it still didn’t stop him from asking himself that same question almost every day.

“That’s because you have no brains at all, moron, now shut up before you make an even bigger fool of yourself,” Sasuke said without even looking at him, sounding positively exhausted.

“And this kid, ladies and gentlemen, escaped the only center that no one had ever managed to escape form before,” Kisame said, gesturing at the blond beside him like he was showing off a product for a commercial, making almost everyone snicker.

“Argh, how about you all finally shut up?!” Naruto said in irritation and opened his beer, taking a huge gulp from it while throwing glares left and right.

“Take a wild guess who was the brain behind the plan,” Sasuke said with a smirk, completely ignoring his best friend.

“Yeah, I can imagine,” Deidara said with a smirk. “And on the previous topic, I’ll help too, but let’s really leave it for tomorrow, hn?” His smirk morphed into a grin which soon turned a little wicked before he turned up the music again. Then the blond guy took a long swig from the bottle in his hand. “Let’s party!” He exclaimed loudly after that and a collective shout of yeah’s could be heard all around the room. Very soon, everyone except for Sasuke, was taking a swig from their drinks too, mimicking their host.

The raven soon followed them though. Despite himself, he realized that more or less, he was having fun and was beginning to relax. Maybe that was all he and Naruto needed for now or maybe the laughter and the music, and maybe even the thought of alcohol, were getting to him. Who knew?  All Sasuke knew was that within five minutes he had abandoned all plans of acting moody for the night and had decided that it wouldn’t hurt to relax, if just for a little while.

* * *

 

 **A/N:** Okay guys, this was chapter 5! We're making progress, the chapters will be only getting longer from now on and their content all the more complicated. I think this is the last drama free chapter for a while, or at least from now there will be a small plot twist in every following one. Get ready because form now on we're getting serious!

Leave me a review with your opinions, they motivate me and inspire me!


	6. Deidara Part 1

**A/N:** Here comes Chapter 6! I'm not sure how I feel about it, it's a cute one I think and also fun to read. If you squint your eyes in the beginning you can detect some drama in there, though it's nothing compared to what is coming.

Without any further ado, read and enjoy and don't forget to give me your opinions, they're basically what I live for right now!

* * *

 

Naruto awoke with a groan which was a result of the killer headache pounding away at his head. In mornings like these he usually promised himself that he would never, ever drink again, lied to himself that he hated alcohol, and cursed whoever had created it. And that particular morning was in no way an exception. He wasn’t sure just how much he had drank last night but by the near blinding pain in his head, he could tell that it was by no means little.

The nice surprise was that he was waking up in a bed so very soft and comfortable, that if it wasn’t for the terrible hangover he was having, he might have sighed in content. He couldn’t really feel his back at the moment, but he was sure that if he could, it would have felt way better than after the previous two nights of sleep in uncomfortable places and positions.

Though comfortable or not, Naruto realized that it was getting way too warm where he was lying and so he began to turn over in search for a cooler area. He didn’t get far though, because not even a second later his arm hit something, or rather someone, who groaned and then muttered something incoherent, apparently still asleep.

It took Naruto’s brain a total of two seconds to properly process the newfound information and when it did, the blond shot up to a sitting position with panic written all over his face. Very soon he regretted the action though, because pain exploded from his ass and spread up over to his lower back, his head began to spin and he instantly felt very nauseous. He pushed all of those sensations down for now and turned around warily to look at the person who was apparently sleeping in bed with him.

Realizing that it was actually Sasuke managed to calm him down for about a moment before another fact registered in his mind and his panic returned because he finally noticed the state of undress the other boy was in. Then, very slowly, almost afraid of what he might find, the blond glanced down at himself and saw that he was too much in the same state. He had only his boxers on and that wasn’t calming him in the least when he considered the terrible pain in his lower back.

With a frown Naruto put a hand over his face, doing his best to ignore the hurtings in all of the various places around his body. Okay, well maybe there was a logical explanation as to why he was lying almost naked in a bed with his best friend and his ass hurt so much. Explanation that didn’t include anything M+ rated. There had to be one, right?

And sure there might be, but the problem was, he had not yet found such an explanation which could match the situation accordingly.

He tried to recall the events of last night but was left with a total blank of anything concerning Sasuke and them going to that room, which now that he thought about, Naruto really hoped was in Deidara's apartment. If he had to be honest, there was actually little to nothing about anyone that he could actually remember. After his fourth beer and the moment Zetsu had passed him a joint… Okay, yeah, that might explain why he didn’t have that many memories. Alcohol and weed didn’t make a good combination, especially when in that order. Not only did he lose some memories, at the time he also lost all ability to think rationally and that was kinda scary when Naruto considered again the situation he was in right now.

In that moment of pure panic and confusion, as if subconsciously sensing it, Sasuke decided that it was a the most perfect of times to wake up too.

And as it turned out, waking up was a difficulty in itself. The light in the room was a horrific bother to the raven’s dark eyes and let’s not even talk about how he felt like someone was continuously slamming a hammer on his head.

He couldn’t help but groan from the pain. Yup, that’s what he got when he decided to relax for a little while. A bag full of shit. And pain, let’s not forget all the pain. Although, if it weren’t for Naruto, who had insisted that they stay at the party even after it had begun to get out of hand, Sasuke was sure that right now he wouldn’t have been in any pain at all. Stupid idiot. See, even his insults sucked when he was hangover.

He turned around to get away from the blinding light, probably hoping to continue sleeping if that was possible, but when his hand landed on someone’s bare skin, Sasuke was forced to open his eyes.

At first he panicked that it might be Deidara in the same bed with him but then, a second later, he realized that it was actually his best friend. His best friend who was staring at him with panic in his blue eyes, Sasuke realized after closing his again and removing his hand from what happened to be Naruto’s thigh. He frowned and then opened one eye again. The blond was still looking at him like a deer caught in the headlights. Sasuke rolled that single opened eye before closing it again and groaning. He turned again, this time lying on his back and throwing a hand over his eyes to shield them from the hellish light.

“What is it, moron?” He crocked out sleepily. No answer. Maybe he had to worry for real now. Usually that question was all Naruto needed to start talking with thousand words per minute. But right now the blond was hangover too, right? Maybe he needed some time to gather his words.

Sasuke almost laughed at that assumption despite his headache. Who was he kidding, Naruto never thought about what was coming out of his mouth. Even less when he was in any sort of pain and he had drank a lot more than Sasuke did. Pain was a given right now for him. But with that said, or well, at least thought, what could be his problem?

“Um, Sasuke, we didn’t… um, well, you know?” The blond began uncertainly, and instead of making it clear what the problem was, he only managed to annoy the raven even further.

“No, Naruto, I don’t know. Explain, please,” He said snidely and let the hand fall from his face so he could open his eyes and look at Naruto but the other teen was now stubbornly staring at the wall in the opposite end of the room. With a sigh and some struggle, the raven pushed himself to a sitting position too and let the covers fall to his lap which in turn made him realize that he was naked. Like, really naked. With a cocktail of emotions like confusion, panic, and pretty much anything else of the like, he stupidly checked under the covers and with relief noted that he still had his boxers on. Well, at least he hadn’t done anything too dumb or humiliating last night.

“Did you go deaf or turned mute?” Sasuke asked the blond sitting next to him when he was done checking himself. His relief was again shortlived when he realized Naruto was naked too. But unlike the blond, he pushed down the panic and didn’t let that realization trouble him very much. _Naruto is straight anyway, no need to worry,_ he thought to himself.

“We didn’t, like… um,” Apparently, after that the blond felt the urge to clear his throat. “You know… do something, um, _strange_ last night?” God, that was so awkward to say. And as it turned out, the awkward didn’t go away and instead, a deep crimson covered Naruto’s face at the mental image his words provided him. It wasn’t hard to imagine what _‘strange’_ might imply considering the circumstances here.

Sasuke now understood why Naruto was thinking over his words so carefully. But why would he think…?

He almost face-palmed. Of course the idiot would think that. They were waking up in a bed together, naked and with massive hangovers. Even the straightest of guys would wonder. He almost scoffed. ‘ _Virgins,_ ’ he shook his head inwardly.

“Don’t worry, idiot,” Sasuke fell down on the bed again. “If we did, we’ll both be feeling the effects of it right about now,” He said and couldn’t help but pray that Naruto didn’t ask what effects or from where he knew that.

“My point is, that I’m actually feeling some _effects_ that I’m sure have nothing to do with the hangover,” Naruto said snappily, and just like that, Sasuke was again in a sitting position before he even realized it. His eyes were wide and panicked, frantically searching the blond’s face, probably in hope of finding out that all of this was a joke. What if indeed he had done something really stupid last night? After the night before that and the strange way he had been aware of Naruto, and then all of the mixed feelings which had kept him from going to sleep, he wasn’t so sure what he could have done when he had been sleep deprived, drunk and high all at once.

“What effects?” He asked, trying to calm himself down. No doubt Naruto was just as dense as always and was acting like that because he woke up naked next to another guy. It’s normal to panic at first, right?

“My ass and lower back hurt like all hell, what do you think I’m talking about?” He snapped and the raven next to him paled even more than usual.

“Naruto,” Sasuke began a little threateningly. “If this is a joke…,”

“I’m not trying to be funny, you asshole!” Naruto exclaimed, not giving him a chance to finish his threat. “I’m worried that I might have slept with my best friend!” He added, hands flailing around him. “I’m worried because we are traveling together and because I don’t want things to be awkward between us and I know how you get from close contact, even with me! How am I supposed to not get worked up when you might just abandon me here and continue on you marry way without me because of a drunken mistake!” Naruto finished a little out of breath, leaving Sasuke startled, angry, and even a little hurt. He couldn’t have even imagined that Naruto thought…

“After thirteen years of friendship,” Sasuke began quietly. His eyes narrowed as he shifted his gaze down, staring at his lap instead of looking straight at the blond. Okay, so maybe he was a lot more hurt by these words than he had originally thought. “You know me so little that you are certain that I’ll _abandon_ you just like that because of something we both can’t even remember?” The raven asked, still staring at his lap, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

Silence engulfed the room after that and Naruto felt like disappearing from the face of Earth. He realized that what he had said probably wasn’t worded in the best of ways and that it had probably sounded very childish and stupid when he thought about it now, but he couldn’t lie and say he didn’t think what he had said because he knew he had meant it to some extends.

“Sasuke, I…” He began but didn’t get the chance to finish because he just didn’t seem to know how. He had said what he did because he was scared of Sasuke beginning to act strange around him but then the hurt evident in his friend’s word… It made a lump form in Naruto’s throat and then that lump refused to move from there. “I’m sorry,” Naruto began again. “I know you wouldn’t go that far but it’s just as awful when you start overthinking and begin to act all detached and I hate that. You’re my best friend and when you’re acting like that and like, make it look like even _you_ prefer that I'm no longer around you and…” It felt like the stubborn lump was just growing and growing now with every word. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just afraid of being left behind,” Naruto said quietly with a shrug and got up from the bed. The raven followed him with his gaze as he began to gather some of his clothes. “Call it an orphan thing if you wish, abandonment issues and all that…,” Naruto added when he bent over to pick up his belt and would have probably continued on with his ramblings if it weren’t for the sudden slap that echoed around the room.

The blond then slowly turned around and found Sasuke breathing heavily with a hand over his forehead.

“You complete idiot,” Sasuke began through clenched teeth. “You put me through all of that shit first thing in the morning and the only reason is that you are a complete, moronic, clumsy spaz?” Sasuke’s voice increased in volume with every word.

“What do you mean?” Naruto asked in sincere confusion.

Not that the blond was to blame, he had no way of seeing it himself, but right there, on Naruto’s tan, lower back, proudly sat a huge, almost purple bruise that even went further down and underneath his boxers. Not that it was something to be happy about, and it was still very questionable how it got there, but the bruise explained the pain and it also meant that they hadn't had sex. He couldn’t believe the idiot had managed to make him doubt himself so much as to think he had slept with him, even if drunk at the time. So yes, right now, that bruise was the best thing Sasuke could have ever imagined and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or to create another bruise, this time even bigger one, somewhere around Naruto’s body.

He was probably favoring the latter at the moment.

“You scared the all living shit out of me! You’ve apparently fallen on something. There’s a bruise on your back,” Sasuke explained angrily, not caring if the volume of his voice was actually making their headaches worse.

But, headache or not, Naruto’s eyes widened and he too felt the need to slap his own head. At the end he didn’t, deciding that it wouldn't help his headache at all, but he dropped all of his clothes back on the floor and sat again on the bed, apparently still in disbelief.

“I can’t believe it… all of that because of a fucking bruise!” Sasuke continued, now sounding more like he was talking to himself.

“Well excuse me for assuming what I did after I woke up naked and in pain next to a just as naked guy!” Naruto snapped back, finally turning around to face him.

“A guy that so happens to be your best friend as you like to put it. How could you even think about that and scare me so much!”

“What are you so afraid of, it’s not like you can knock me up or something!” Naruto shouted.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to answer but the door to their room opened and Deidara pushed his head inside.

“Hey you two, I heard that you’re… Damn, I don’t feel like asking that again, but are you sure you two aren’t actually an item? Like, for real?” Deidara asked with a smirk.

“What do you mean?” Naruto asked, pure confusion written all over his face for god knew which time this morning, very easily putting on hold his fight with the Uchiha for now.

“Well, you guys made out last night, like, really intensely, but then insisted that you aren’t a couple and now you’re both naked in a bed and talking about knocking each other up. Oh, and Sasuke, there’s that huge hickey on your neck,” Deidara added with a pointed look to the pale neck, or better yet, the hickey not so innocently lying there. “That’s not how ‘just friends’ works, you know,” He said with a knowing smirk. “But anyway, I came to tell you that I made some coffee and you’re welcome to join me on the balcony if you don’t have anything more _urgent_ and so very _friendly_ to tend to,” The blond said with great amusement and wiggled his brows. Before any of them could ask any more questions though, the door was closed and they were left alone again.

“Great,” Sasuke muttered and fell back down on the bed with an exasperated sigh. “This whole morning is just great and I’ve only been awake for about five minutes,” The raven continued to talk to himself, glad that for once Naruto was keeping quiet and wasn’t interrupting his rant with some optimistic shit.

The blond slowly turned towards the raven and noticed that indeed there were some hickeys marring the pale skin of his partenr's neck. He couldn’t help but wonder how he had missed them earlier. But then again, there were some far more pressing matters at the time than a hickey or two. He didn’t know what he looked like himself and frankly, he was a little afraid to look in the mirror after walking into the bathroom a minute later.

“This morning keeps getting weirder and weirder by the second,” Sasuke muttered to himself once he could hear the shower being turned on.

* * *

After the two teens had both taken a shower each and had gotten dressed (in their clothes from last night to Sasuke’s utter disgust, which, may he add, smelled like alcohol, smoke and sweat all in the same time), they had gone to the car to get their backpacks and change into something more clean. Then they had finally gone to have a cup of coffee on the spacious balcony with the very nice view.

Morning coffee with Deidara, as it turned out, was very insightful. And while the hot beverage cured some of the headache caused by the alcohol, the blond’s detailed story of last night’s events caused some other headaches to occure. It at least cleared some things though. Like how the bruise which had caused such a ruckus that morning had gotten on Naruto’s body. It would have probably been hilarious if not for the problems it had caused, but the story behind it was that Naruto had bet that he was strong enough to pick up Kisame. Ridiculous of course, but try and explain that to a drunken person with a hero complex. Then, after every one had laughed at the declaration, the blond had tried to actually pick up the man. He hadn’t succeeded like you could already imagine, but he had managed to throw himself and the mountain of a man off balance, and while going down, Kisame had ended up falling on top of the blond. It was a miracle he had not broken anything or gotten any internal wounds, although the bruise was sure to stay there for a week in the least, and that was when Naruto’s abnormal healing abilities were taken into account.

They also found out that Sasuke had told the whole group jokes at some point. Yeah, Naruto laughed so hard after hearing about it, that some of the coffee he had been drinking came out of his nose. He said he wished he could remember that more than anything and Sasuke very kindly had told Deidara he would skin him alive if anyone else found out. Of course, after that, the blond host hadn’t mentioned that everyone from last night knew, but who in their right mind would want to tell that to a homicidal person.

Soon they also found out why their clothes reeked of alcohol so much and it was because at some point they had all had a drinking competition (which surprisingly, Tobi of all people had won), using some huge ass wine glasses. No need to explain how easy it had been for more than half of the liquid to escape the glasses and fall right on the participants’ laps who at the time were already a little more than tipsy.

They also learned about the second seemingly huge thing that head been eating at them since the morning. The intense make out session Deidara was talking about earlier.

Turns out that when Suigetsu had made a comment to Naruto about how he was apparently so gay for Sasuke and that they were acting like a couple, Naruto had oh so cleverly asked ‘So what of it?’ instead of denying it. Then, of course, Suigetsu had asked if they were actually a couple and again, instead of denying it like any _normal_ person, that apparently Naruto wasn’t, he had very maturely asked ‘What if we are? What are you gonna do about it?’ Sasori had smirked then and had told Naruto to prove if they really are together and the idiot had actually gone and grabbed Sasuke by the neck and then smashed their lips together. Worst part was, or at least if you asked Sasuke, that the raven had kissed back almost the second their lips had met. Of course he wasn’t sure if he could completely believe Deidara but there were some very obvious proofs on his and Naruto’s necks about the truth of the statement.

They both got very quiet and uncomfortable while their host was kindly telling them, in way too much detail if you asked them, about all of the ass grabbing, lip biting and what not which had taken place in the middle of the living room, in front of everyone who had been present at the time.

Needless to say, Naruto and Sasuke both needed another cigarette that morning after the tale was told. Oh, and did I mention that there was a statement afterwards which said that if anyone else was to be told about that, hair would be shaven, eyeballs plugged out and tongue cut off? No? Well you can imagine whose words those were.

No, you’re wrong, not Sasuke’s. Surprise, surprise, they were Naruto’s.

* * *

“So, what’s it gonna be, boys?” Deidara asked his two clients after they had entered the hair-salon. Let’s just say they both had almost face-palmed again when the salon had turned out to be just behind the city hall. Seriously, yesterday was turning out to be a total waste of time so far.

“Start with him,” Naruto said in a bored tone and with an obvious wince sat down on the soft cushions to his left.

Sasuke shrugged and went to sit on the chair in front of the big mirrors.

“Okay, so I’ll trim it a little on the back because I noticed it’s getting kinda too long and I’ll take some from the front so when it’s flattened it will be around the same length, hn,” Deidara explained, touching and studying the dark locks, pulling slightly at them at times and combing through them with his fingers. “Also, I don’t think it will be needed to change the hair color, there are so many people with dark hair around here, it wouldn’t be a problem at all. I suggest we just change the style a little,” He finished and went to rummage through his cabinets to get his spray-bottle filled with water, the scissors, and the cape all heirdressers put around your neck.

“Finally we’ll get rid of that ridiculous duck-butt,” Naruto exclaimed with a grin and Sasuke not so subtly glared at him through the mirror.

“Actually we won’t,” Deidara clarified and watched with a smirk as the grin fell from Naruto’s face. “It’s pretty unique and so Sasuke-like, it would be a crime to ruin it, hn. I’ll just give you some hairbands to put it up with when you’re on the road,” The heir-dresser explained and Sasuke got the childish urge to stick his tongue out at Naruto. He didn’t do it of course, and he hoped that the urge was something induced by his hangover and not because he was spending too much time around Naruto.

“Now when I think about it, how come you remember everything from last night?” Sasuke asked as Deidara began to wet his hair.

“Simple, hn. I just didn’t smoke weed,” The blond grinned brightly at his client through the mirror. “Hey, why don’t you tell me about how you got caught and what exactly for? I mean, I heard some stuff on the news but it wasn't anything elaborate at all.” The blond said, already immersed into combing through Sasuke’s dark hair.

“Well,” Naruto began, acting as if trying to recall a name from fifty years ago. “A year and some months ago we were kinda low on cash, nothing really new for us, and we heard about this rich family going on a vacation. We decided that we could take some stuff from them, not like they needed it that much anyway,” The blond waves his hand dismissively in the air. “The plan was fine and we got in without a hitch, and we would also have gone out without a problem too, but the family got back home earlier than expected because their stupid brat had gotten a toothache or something. And when I say they got back earlier than expected, I mean that we were literally still in the house by the time they were pulling into the garage,” Naruto clarified. “We didn’t leave any evidence behind of course but they still saw us and called the cops. We then escaped as fast as possible but it turned out that the house had security cameras which they usually didn’t look through, but now they did for probably the first time in fucking decades just to get our faces. So from then on this constant game of cat and mouse began. It was like, around half a year later until they caught us but it was kinda crazy how they just wouldn’t give up on us all of that time,”

“But how did they get you?” Deidara asked, already skillfully working the scissors through Sasuke’s locks and letting dark hair fall down to the ground.

“We were dumb, that’s how,” Sasuke explained.

“Shut up, Sasuke, no one asked you. I am talking now!” Naruto exclaimed, making his friend roll his eyes, but shut up all the same.

“So, where was I?” Deidara snorted at that and Sasuke tried to resist the urge to roll his eyes again, he really did, but in the end, the need to none-verbally point out how stupid Naruto was acting won. “Oh yeah, well, we were somewhere near Minnesota at a gas station and we were just walking in to pay for the gas and, like, get some stuff, when we realize the place was crowded with cops!”

“There were three of them,” Sasuke deadpanned with a bored look on his face.

“Oh, and you would know!” Naruto exclaimed childishly, again without really thinking through his words, although today the raven decided to pay that his hangover.

“Yes, I would. Believe it or not I was actually there, and very surprisingly, know how to count to three,” He answered, throwing Naruto a deadpan look through the mirror, but the blond sadly missed it because he was way too busy mocking the raven. "Anyway, we should have gotten out of there the moment we saw them but the moron over there," Sasuke motioned with his head. "Insisted that we buy cigarettes."

 _‘Maybe they don’t really see it themselves, but most of the time, they really do interact like an old-married couple’_ Deidara thought to himself with a small smile.

“What happened then?” He urged Naruto to continue before the Uchiha could melt down his expensive mirror with his glare. ‘ _Pfft, Uchihas and all of their glares’_ Deidara rolled his eyes internally.

“Oh, yeah, well they didn’t recognize us at first and we’re almost exiting when we apparently run out of luck, and so this wild chase begins around the city, and we almost got away but they managed to corner us in the end,” Naruto finished the story, nodding his head a little as he recalled the events of that day.

“We were sentenced to a year and half in the juvenile center. Basically until we turned nineteen,” Sasuke added to the story while Deidara was already taking off the cape and cleaning off the hairs gathered on it. He combed through the dark locks and before Sasuke knew it, his hair was put up in a thick and tight ponytail. “We served barely seven months though,” The raven added with a smirk as he got up from the chair and inspected his new hairstyle. He kinda liked it to be honest.

Looking at him through the mirror, Naruto decided he liked it too. Sasuke was good-looking, that was already established, and with his face completely uncovered, he looked very different but in a very good and almost sexy way. Not that he was ever going to tell Sasuke any of that and risk his head growing even bigger than it already was. He was going to admit it very grudgingly only to himself though.

“Okay, you’re done, hn. Naruto, the chair’s all yours,” The tall male said with a smile, gesturing at the seat Sasuke had just left and with a smile of his own, Naruto pushed himself up and went to sit in front of the mirror.

The cape was put around Naruto’s neck and Deidara took his respective place behind him. The hairdresser put his fingers in his clients’ hair and tried to measure its’ length but instead he immediately grimaced.

“Do you ever comb it?” He asked, trying to free his fingers from the blond mess of a hair while also trying to untangle some of the knots at the same time.

“Uh, not really. It’s going to get tangled again soon anyway so I don’t see why I should bother,” Naruto explained with a shrug and he heard a scoff from behind him. “Oh, shut up, Sasuke, like yours was any better,” Naruto said, throwing his friend a foul look through the mirror.

“Actually, it was and it still is because unlike you, I prefer to take good care of my hair,” Sasuke said very matter-of-factly and was not prepared for the loud snort that Deidara made and the chuckle that escaped from the blond in the chair.

“I’m sorry Sasuke, but I, a flaming homo, am telling you that this sounded way too gay for someone who claims he isn’t a homo, or at least is still in the closet, hn,” Deidara said with a shit eating grin almost splitting his face in half. Yeah, like his skinny, leather pants and low cut tank top over a fishnet shirt weren’t enough of a give-away.

Naruto was trying his best not laugh out. Apparently he hadn’t tried hard enough because he was soon laughing uncontrollably while the other blond was trying to comb his hair.

“Oh my god, I’m gonna die,” Naruto said. “Funniest part about this whole thing is that you don’t even get to see him every morning spending half an hour in front of the mirror and fixing his hair. If I didn’t know him, I’d have thought that he was gay a very long time ago,” Naruto said.

“I know, right? When I first met him I thought he was a power bottom, hn!” Deidara exclaimed and that statement made Naruto explode with laughter once more. A growl could also be heard from somewhere behind them but the laughter covered it and it was left completely unnoticed.

“You don’t know how many guys try to flirt with him!” Naruto said through laughter. “Although, all they manage to do is to annoy him even further and guess who has to deal with his moody ass afterwards,” Naruto said with a pointed look at Deidara. “So I think it’s finally time for Sasuke to get laid, you know,” The blond added with a smirk and made the mistake of looking in the mirror and into the eyes of Death. Oops, no, sorry, I meant Sasuke’s, although it was easy to mistake them with the way the raven was glaring. Judging by how much Naruto seemed fazed by the murderous look though, he might have as well been looking at a bunny.

“I advise you to shut up, moron, before I make you swallow the scissors,” Sasuke tried to threaten.

“See!” Naruto exclaimed, pointing at the raven’s reflection in the mirror. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about,” He told the other blond, completely ignoring the glare he was still receiving.

“Oh, I know, believe me. I have a boyfriend for some time now and I’m telling you, he used to be just like Sasuke. He acted like there was this constant stick very high up his ass and you know what? Once I got him laid he completely transformed, hn!” Deidara explained. “So, my theory is that people like them are so sexually frustrated that even they are unaware of it until they get to relieve that frustration. Then they turn into these complete bunnies afterwards and believe me, they get just as horny,” The tall blond said with a playful smirk, giving Naruto a suggestive wink, while trimming his hair. Deep crimson spread over Naruto’s cheeks and even Sasuke’s who had bared witness to that exchange.

“I’m surprised that your hair had managed to grow so long after you hadn’t even lifted a finger to help it,” The hairdresser said with amazement after getting done with removing the split ends. “So, you have anything particular in mind?” He asked and just like that the subject was changed entirely, allowing Sasuke to drop his glare before he pulls a facial muscle.

“Well, I think it’d be a good idea to change the color but I don’t want to dye it,” Naruto answered, pursing his lips as he looked at his golden locks.

“Of course I’m not going to use dye on it!” Deidara rolled his eyes, putting his hands on Naruto’s shoulders. “It would look okay and natural for now, but in just two weeks, your roots will start to show and the whole changing of color would have been pointless. We’ll use a wig, hn. Would you like to choose the color or are you leaving it to me?” He asked the teen in the chair, looking him in the eye through the mirror. There was that certain glint in Deidara’s eye which told Naruto he better leave it to the professional so in the end, he just shrugged his shoulders.

“Anything would do really, as long as it is a change,” He explained nonchalantly.

“Okay then, how about dark, dusty blond? I think it would look amazing on you. Like, it could be almost brown but not really and it would have that nice tint to it, which would make it look very natural on you. It wouldn’t be such a major change, but it’s a change after all, and it will make you basically unrecognizable. Exactly what you wanted, right?” He said while walking towards a door a little further in the salon. He didn’t wait for an answer before he went inside.

Naruto wasn’t completely opposed to the idea if he had to be honest. It would be strange at first, sure, but he thought it might look cool on him.

“And you’re lucky I still have one,” Deidara’s voice sounded muffled from within the small room. Soon he reemerged from the closet with a wig of very long, dusty blond hair.

“Wow, dude, I’ll look like a girl with such long hair,” Naruto said after taking a look at the wig, sounding, and even looking a little frightened.

 _‘Oh, so he’s not afraid of me, but from a wig.’_ Sasuke thought bitterly, rolling his eyes again. Stupid blonds and their strangely working brains.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make it a little shorter, hn. How about somewhere above your shoulders? I think longer hair would look good on you. Besides, this way, you have the freedom of change the hair style whenever you want.” The hairdresser explained and swiftly put the fake hair on Naruto’s head, clipping it to his real hair so that it would stay in place.

He began combing it back and soon was once again holding the scissors, a look of concentration on his face as he worked on the blond locks.

“Now when I think about it, you never quite said anything about how you managed to escape from the juvenile center,” Deidara said at some point, sounding genuinely interested in the story behind it.

“Oh, well it was fairly easy actually. The only reason it took us that much time was because we needed some supplies that we had to steal and we wanted good weather ahead of us. Other than that, it was a piece of cake,”

“Says the person who almost cried when it turned out we didn’t have the keys for the side exit,” Sasuke said with clear amusement.

“I didn’t cry, you asshole. I was trying to think of a plan!”

“And it was some plan you thought of,” Sasuke said with a roll of his dark eyes and a smirk.

“Shut up, I was totally gonna get us out of there if it weren’t for you always stealing the spotlight,” Naruto said, crossing his arms over his chest and sending a glare the raven's way.

“If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have gotten as far as the basement that night and right now, you would’ve been scrubbing pans and pots for even trying something,” The raven countered, smugly pulling one eyebrow up.

Between them, Deidara rolled his eyes as the fight continued and he sighed exasperatedly. He couldn’t help but wonder how they could have managed to get so far without one of them murdering the other. Or better yet, he wondered how two complete opposites like them could get to be such good friends in the first place.

So, sometime later, after a heated argument, a couple of murderous threats and glares, and finally a story explaining how they escaped, Naruto’s wig was ready.

“Wow, you were right, I do look good with longer hair,” Naruto said, staring at himself in the mirror and trying to get used to the way he looked. The color also looked so natural on him it was very hard to tell that it wasn’t. And the fake hair was so soft and silky he had to wonder if it was really fake at all.

“It actually feels like real hair,” He commented and was certainly not prepared for the answer that followed.

“That’s because it is,” Deidara had said offhandedly while cleaning the floor underneath the chair. “Okay now, I also have some lenses in the back that I think aren’t too extravagant or unnatural,” Deidara said after putting away the broom and ignoring the still somewhat shocked look on Naruto’s face. “I’m thinking something like dark blue for you,” He pointed at Sasuke “And green for you,” He added, looking at Naruto.

When Naruto gave him a nod and the raven a shrug, the hairdresser turned around and went towards that same closet from which he had taken the wig.

Sasuke was staring at Naruto throughout the half a minute they were waiting. He looked very different like that. Way too different and while, yeah, he could admit that it didn’t look bad, he still didn’t like it that much because it just didn’t look like Naruto. Although Sasuke knew better than to complain about it. This was needed so they were going to take whatever they could.

“Found them!” Deidara exclaimed once he exited the closet and closed the door. “Okay, these are the green. Here, try them on.” He said and handed Naruto a small, white container.

Naruto opened it carefully and went to stand barely a breath away from the mirror. Putting them on one by one, he couldn’t believe how different a new eye-color could make you look. It was kinda crazy how he didn’t look anything like himself anymore. Coupled up with his new hair, he felt like a completely different person. Except for the scars on his cheeks which might give him away, nobody should be able to recognize him. Hell, he could hardly recognize himself.

He turned around to look at Sasuke who had put his lenses on without the aid of a mirror and they both stared at each other for a little while, somewhat speechless and already feeling nostalgic over their old looks.

“You look even more annoying than before,” Sasuke said with a smirk and watched as Naruto rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, don’t assume I’m too keen on having to watch your face in all its’ ugliness from now on. I see why you were so warped up in hiding it behind your hair,” Naruto answered, trying to give back the insult but in the end he couldn’t stop the next word that left his mouth. “Though it doesn’t feel very much like your face when your eyes are blue,” He added quietly with a frown.

Thankfully Naruto was saved the embarrassment of looking at Sasuke’s put off expression because it was at that moment when they heard the bells hanging over the door jiggle and the three of them turned to look at the newcomer.

“Yo, Deidara, you actually made the brat look less stupid than usual,” Kisame said first thing after letting the door close behind him. “I’m impressed,” He added with a smirk towards the now scowling Naruto.

“What do you want?” He asked, throwing Kisame a foul look.

“Well, Yahiko and I managed to pull some strings for you but with that attitude I might cancel everything,” The man answered with one of his brows pulled up.

“Really?” Naruto asked with excitement, ignoring the last part of the big man’s words.

“Yup, there’s this guy here that makes probably the best fake IDs in the whole state, if not the whole country. He’s kinda nuts but he’s so good at what he does, it would be a pity to miss out on his work,” He explained. “Name is Hidan and I’ll give you the address to go and meet him even though you really hurt my feelings sometimes,” Kisame added with a grin.

“Pfft, we all know you don’t have any,” Deidara commented from the sofa where he had sat next to the raven.

“Sushi roll, you’re the best!” Naruto told him with a big smile as if trying to make up for his attitude earlier, successfully making both Deidara and Sasuke snort.

* * *

Tsunade drummed her fingers on top of her desk while watching the telephone with something akin to disgust. There was no news of the boys. Not like she had really expected anything else from these cocky cops, but still. It hadn’t hurt to hope, although there really wasn’t anything much left to hope for from now on. She just had to call them.

With a deep sigh Tsunade reached forward and grabbed the phone. Then she leaned back in her seat while dealing a number she didn’t want to deal at all. It was an emergency one after all.

She heard the tone deal and took a deep breath, hoping they picked up soon or not at all. To which she hoped more though, she couldn’t really tell.

But no matter what she wanted, the line was picked up after the third tone.

“Tsunade? What is it, is something wrong?” The worried voice of a man in his early forties sounded from the other side.

“Well, technically I hope not, but, Minato, your brats…” She took a deep breath. “They escaped,” She said, sighing in to the phone. She knew what was coming next and still hoped it wouldn’t.

“Oh, don’t worry, I knew they would do it sooner or later, though I was betting on a little later than that. Now I owe these crazy woman twenty bucks each,” He muttered in the end and Tsunade had the strong urge to face palm. Or better yet, reach in through the phone and hit the man over the head. How dare he laugh at a time like that? And they were betting on how much time it would take Naruto and Sasuke to escape? Fucking brats…

“At least I know why Naruto is such a huge punk right now,” Tsunade muttered.

“I’ll act like I didn’t hear that,” It sounded like he wanted to say more but was stopped from someone who was apparently asking something. “Yes, Kushi, they did,” Minato sounded a little reluctant to admit it and Tsunade couldn’t help but smile. There was some laughter and maybe even screaming that sounded very much like a childish song in the lines of ‘I told you, you owe me,’ and Tsunade would have really loved to hear more, but the door to her office opened and she focused on the man standing there.

When she realized it was only Jiraya, she answered his questioning look with a small nod and a little smile.

Some more struggles could be heard from the other end of the line which even Jiraya managed to catch, and then finally Minato got back on the phone, sounding exasperated but serious. “Don’t worry anymore Tsunade, we’re taking over from now on. It’s been such a long time, I don’t even think I could have waited any longer,” Tsunade smiled fondly at the happiness she heard behind those words. Minato was like a son to her even if not biological. That’s the reason she had had a lot of these mixed feelings towards Naruto all this time and even towards Sasuke at times.

“Okay, I’ll call the cops and try and and tell them the matter had been taken care of so they can withdraw and not butt in your way, though can't promise you anything,” She said. “Not like they are doing much anyway, but still,” She added in irritation.

“Thanks, Tsunade. We’ll keep in touch,” And with that the line went dead.

The woman put the phone back on her desk and glanced up at the newcomer in the room that had kept quiet all that time, a small, fond smile gracing his lips.

“He was so happy to know that their brats were the most disobedient ones around,” She said with a smirk.

“I don’t know, I think I also would’ve been happy if it was my job to be disobedient too,” Jiraya said with a smile and went to sit in one of the chairs in the office.

“I just hope they don’t do anything stupid until they find them. I’ll be counting on Sasuke to see to that, Naruto isn’t very thrust-worthy in that department,” Tsunade shook her head with a small smile.

“Yeah, he’s so much like Kushina, it’s ridiculous,” The man answered with a grin.

“How do you think they would react when they find out the truth?” Tsunade asked in a serious and even somewhat worried tone.

“I’d like to think it wouldn’t be bad but with these two, you never really know. I guess only time will show us,” He finished and got up from his seat again. He opened the door, ready to exit. “It would be very nice to finally see them reunited though,” He added and then stepped out of the office.

“Yeah,” He hard Tsunade mutter quietly right before the door clicked shut.

* * *

 

 **A/N:** Oh boy, oh boy! I'm super excited about nothing in particular right now! It looks like the story will be close to 30 chapters, but probably won't overstep them. However, I can never be sure about that so expect the unexpected! I'll push myself to finish it until the summer and when it's done, I'll start posting chapter a week.

I hope you enjoyed this one. Till next time!


	7. Deidara Part 2

**A/N:** Well.. I'm here and I'm bringing you guys another chapter. This one went through soooo much re-writing it's ridiculous! But nevermind that, it's here and it's done, and I'm giving it to you to decide if it has turned out okay or not, which, by the way, is a not so subtle hint to leave a review lol

* * *

 

“You know, if it weren’t for Kisame, this whole thing would have cost you a shit-load of money,” Hidan said with a huge grin on his face. He was a tall man, lean but still muscular, and admittedly attractive with his slicked back silver hair and grey eyes, but also very psycho and looked so sinister, even Sasuke was a little intimidated by him.

“Yeah, whatever, just hurry up and do it already” Naruto said in a somewhat tired voice, sitting on the small uncomfortable chair in front of the grey screen, waiting for his picture to be finally taken. Their whole time spent there had been filled with innuendos, mockery, and a couple of dozens of snide comments from which they were already more than tired of.

They were in what appeared to Hidan’s studio which was in reality a cramped apartment on the second floor of a rundown building. Taking photos of them was, of course, required for their new IDs and driving licenses and they had already given the rest of the information that had to be there. Once their new documents were ready, Naruto would be going by the name of Nathan Carter and Sasuke had chosen the name Alexander Martins. Pretty simple and inconspicuous if you asked them.

A blinding light flashed through the room and to Naruto’s relief, his photo was finally taken. Of course, he was wearing the wig and the lenses and also some foundation on his cheeks to hide his scars, so that in their new documents their basic information would be changed along with their looks.

“How much time do you need to make them,” Sasuke asked, crossing his arms over his chest with a deep frown once all the necessities were covered. It was obvious he couldn’t wait to get out of there by the way he was tapping his foot on the hardwood floor. And for the usually stoic and not so easily unnerved raven to do that, it was definitely saying something.

Hidan took his sweet time, slowly circling the small table covered with all kinds of papers, ashtrays filled to the brim with cigarette butts, porn magazines, boxes and what not, until he sat down on the low, brown leather sofa. He placed the camera next to him and looked up at Sasuke with the same grin of a mentally unstable person on his face.

“Well, usually around a week,” Hidan said and his grin starched even further if that were possible when he saw the obsidian eyes narrow. “But since this is a favor for a friend, I’ll try to be ready with them around tomorrow afternoon,” He added in a slow, bored tone.

Naruto sighed exasperatedly and went to stand next to Sasuke. He was positive that the guy in front of them was completely nuts and on any normal occasion he wouldn’t have even thought of stepping a foot in that dimly lit, strangely smelling place that Hidan had decided to call an office.

“We’ll swing by tomorrow afternoon then,” Sasuke said in an emotionless, all business tone, and turned on his heals to leave. A second later he heard Naruto’s footsteps as the blond hurried to follow him out of that place.

Once out in the daylight again, Naruto allowed himself to finally take a deep breath of fresh air and let his body relax, just then realizing how tense he had been. He exhaled slowly and then puffed his cheeks out, still affected by the whole experience. Then he began making his way towards their car that was parked a little down the street and with Sasuke, they both entered, neither of them uttering a word the whole time.

“Wow, this guy was so nuts, I wonder how the squirrels haven’t attacked him yet! I mean, is there a medical condition that doesn’t allow you to talk to people without that shit-eating grin on your face?” Naruto asked incredulously. He was never good at keeping silent anyway.

“Hn, appears so,” Sasuke said with a scowl on his face, his hands deep in the pockets of his jeans.

“So, back to Deidara’s? I hope he wouldn’t mind some company for one more night,” Naruto said and finally started the engine.

After pulling out of their parking space and onto the street again, the blond threw Sasuke a quick glance, wondering what might have caused his bad mood this time. Not like they just had the most pleasant of experiences in their lives but still. He just couldn’t help but think that Sasuke might be overreacting a little. Psycho or not, the guy was still doing them a huge favor if they thought about it. Things like fake ID’s weren’t cheap in the least and they would be getting theirs for free.

Maybe Sasuke was still badly hangover, Naruto thought. He did usually need more time than the blond to get back on his feet after such a night. At that thought his eyes unintentionally slid down to the angry red mark on the pale neck and he once again felt heat creep up his cheeks. He quickly pealed his gaze away from the hickeys and looked at the road ahead of him. He had been drunk, okay? And high. Why was he still dwelling on it when he knew that he hadn’t been thinking rationally at the time? Or maybe not even thinking at all?

‘ _I wonder what it felt like…’_ Naruto mused despite himself and was kind of shocked at the thought he had let invade his mind. ‘ _No way, why would I need to know that? Fucking hell, am I still high or something?_ ’ But beating himself up didn’t help erase that previous thought, so then Naruto allowed himself to think that he was more interested in seeing Sasuke without all of his defenses than actually making that hickey. Deep down he was well aware that this was only a part of the truth but he just didn’t feel ready to dwell on that other part, so instead, he sighed and focused his mind on the road before them, muting all and every raging thought in his head that tried to grab his attention.

Sasuke, on his side of the car, was also deep in thought. He wasn’t thinking so much about the guy they had just met. He’d met psychotic people before. No, his thoughts were more focused on a certain memory that had resurfaced in his mind a little while ago when Naruto had told Hidan to ‘just hurry up and do it’. It was still fuzzy and it felt a little disoriented in time and place too, but Sasuke knew enough to be sure it was something that had occurred last night after they had gone to the room they had woken up in. And what did the memory entail you may wonder? Well, let’s just say that Sasuke had to turn his head away so Naruto’s wouldn’t see the blush that covered his face after thinking about those small flashbacks.

The blush though, wasn’t everything that the flashback had caused. He felt a twitch in his groin too and a coiling heat in his stomach at the memories. Because these memories entailed a very promising position of them, lying almost naked on the bed and despite everything else being fuzzy, the raven could still clearly make out the memory of a hand on his shaft, pumping him rapidly. He could also remember doing something very similar with his hand to the blond that had been hovering above him at the time and Sasuke felt another, more prominent stirring between his legs.

Seriously, what was wrong with him? He didn’t get why he felt such a need to think so much about what he had remembered. And he should have been repulsed at the memory, right?  Not aroused. This was his best friend for god’s sake! Or at least that was what the still sane part of his brain was trying to tell him, but the other part, which was still replying the foggy event, seemed like it had a completely different opinion.

Sasuke let out a frustrated sigh and slid lower in his seat, his frown deepening further.

A minute later he became aware that the car had stopped moving and he felt eyes on him. The raven turned to see Naruto staring at him with some slight concern mixed with confusion in those now green eyes. The new color only made his mood worse.

He arched his eyebrow, doing his best to act like he wasn’t the one being strange.

“What?” Naruto exclaimed. “You’re the one who acts like his puppy has been run over by a truck!” He said, looking at Sasuke incredulously. The raven just scoffed and turned his head again, not in the mood to argue with Naruto. Instead he began to unbuckle his seat belt.

“Seriously, what did I do?” Naruto asked. Sasuke was acting like he was mad at him but he wasn’t aware of saying or doing anything to have earned that.

Apparently the Uchiha caught up on what was running through Naruto’s head and he straightened up in his seat again. He opened his mouth but then shook his head and closed it. He looked as if he was having an argument with himself at the moment and just couldn’t decide which side to take.

“Nothing, just drop it,” He finally said but his tone was way too even and had that certain strain to it, which instead of reassuring the blond only made him more confused about the whole situation.

Sasuke exited the car before Naruto could say anything more and went into the hair salon again. He didn’t want to tell Naruto what was really troubling him because he was afraid that his friend would probably freak out on him and he certainly didn’t want that, not after bearing witness to what had happened earlier in the morning. He didn’t want Naruto to be acting strange, especially not around him.

But of course, he figured that if he wanted things to stay the same, he also had to act the same as always. Yeah, he had his mood swings occasionally, but most of the time he had a reason behind them. Now, of course, he had a pretty valid one too, but he just couldn’t share it. No way in hundred years. So in front of his friend he had to act like he hadn’t just remembered them writhing and rolling around in a bed, naked and in the process of giving each other handjobs. He would just have to wait for Naruto to remember something himself and then they could probably talk about it or whatever. That is, of course, if the blond ever remembered anything which, by the way, was very doubtful, so it looked all that much better to Sasuke. It at least saved him some embarrassment in the future.

* * *

Later that night they were sitting comfortably on Deidara’s couch, watching some random show on TV. The blond male had been more than happy to let them stay one more night. He was alone anyway, who wouldn’t like some company now and then. Though they didn’t get why he had such a big apartment if he lived alone but hey, it wasn’t like they were complaining.

Right now all of their clothes were in the washing machine and they were using some borrowed pairs of sweatpants and faded T-shirts as they sipped from their beers and lazily watched TV.

“So, is the wife the killer?” Naruto asked, watching with boredom as the criminal investigator picked up a cigarette butt from the middle of a busy street and of course, it would later turn out it was thrown away by the murderer. ‘ _Because only a murderer would ever throw away their cigarette on the street’,_ Naruto scoffed mentally.

“How should I know?” Sasuke asked irritably and took a swig from his beer. That night they were going to take it easy. One beer at most, maybe two, because no one wanted a repeat from last night. Well, Sasuke wasn’t actually sure if he wanted one or if he didn’t. He was so confused right now. About himself, about his and Naruto’s feelings, about what he felt concerning the _thing_ that had happened between them last night, about the shift which only he seemed to feel in their relationship by remembering that… He was confused about almost everything right now. So all in all, there was a lot going through his head for him to be sure what he wanted and what not, and definitely too much for him to pay enough attention and find out who the killer was.

“Well I don’t know, usually you are good at these and almost every time we watch something like that, you spoil the whole episode for me,” Naruto commented with a shrug. He hated to admit it but Sasuke had a good eye for those kinds of stuff. And even though you could never fully experience a movie about crimes with him on your side, Naruto sometimes took grate interest in the raven’s explanations as to why he thought that the person he had named was the killer. And of course, ninety-nine percent of the time he was annoyingly right.

This time thought, the truth was that Sasuke hadn’t been paying that much attention to the show they were watching. He guessed that if he had, he would have known who the killer was a long while ago, but he was so focused on not acting any differently that he actually forgot to act normally. It was a strange concept when he thought about it, but apparently completely possible. And Naruto was obviously noticing that but still hadn’t asked what was bothering him. Or at least hadn’t tried to after their conversation in the car. Though it was kinda annoying how he kept pointing out how uncharacteristically Sasuke was acting. And he always did it with that bored tone as if he knew that Sasuke was trying to hide something from him and was ‘ _unintentionally_ ’ trying to help him cover it up better, while at the same time telling him it was obvious to him that something was up without actually saying it.

But Sasuke didn’t buy that for a second. He knew that Naruto was trying to make him spill it without asking directly and was purposely annoying him because of that. Well, that wasn’t happening. He could take his reverse psychology, or whatever it was that he was trying to do, and shove it where sun didn't shine.  

Of course, the raven could be also reading too much into it, but Sasuke didn’t want to accidentally say what was on his mind when he lashed out at some point, so he had to prevent himself from actually lashing out. And if he didn’t want to lash out, he had to stop the blond from annoying him. That’s why Sasuke decided that he was going to try and clear his mind from everything and just focus on the small things around him like, let’s say, the show they were watching.

He took another sip from his beer and concentrated on the investigator on TV. If Naruto wanted to know who the killer was, then Sasuke was going to tell him just that.

“So, is anyone hungry?” Deidara asked after minute of fidgeting around, apparently sensing the subtle tension that had built in the room around them.

“Yeah, what do you have in mind?” Naruto asked, not moving his gaze from the TV, though it was doubtful he was paying that much attention to the show anyway.

“Well, I was thinking something like pizza or Chinese, I’ll let you guys decide, hn,” The blond host said and lifted his bottle to his lips as his light blue eyes found the TV once more.

“The neighbor,” Sasuke then said and immediately felt two sets of blue eyes on the side of his head.

“Um, I’m not sure he’ll be up for dinner, as in him being the dinner.” Deidara said with a grin, one eyebrow pulled up in amusement. Naruto, on the other hand, was trying really hard not to grin like a fool because he was still kinda mad at Sasuke’s for keeping things from him, which were obviously bothering the raven. "Although if you didn't mean cannibalism, then I guess he might be  _up_ for it," Deidara snickered which was immediately followed by the other blond's laugh.

“No, you idiot,” The Uchiha rolled his eyes and then turned his head a little to look at Naruto.  “You wanted to know who the killer was, right? It’s the neighbor,” Sasuke explained with a roll of his eyes. “And I prefer Chinese,” He added after a second.

“Okay then, I’ll go order,” Deidara said and got up from his seat. He placed his beer on the coffee table in front of the couch and went towards the kitchen, probably very happy to escape the room if just for a little while.

Suddenly, when they were left alone, Naruto felt the tension increase tenfold. He subconsciously lifted one leg up on the couch, closer to his body as if trying to shield himself, although from what, he wasn't sure himself. The mask of boredom of course, didn’t leave his face but there was this strange feeling in his gut that he didn’t like. Mainly because he had no idea where the tension between then had come from and thus, he had no idea how to fix it.

Sasuke was being a dickhead as always and was refusing to tell him what was bothering him, even though it was more than obvious there was something going on. And when Naruto thought about it, since they had come back to Deidara’s apartment and he had gotten rid of the lenses and the wig, Sasuke hadn’t even so much as looked at him unless it was completely necessary which led him to believe that he was the problem.

And the blond was beginning to get tired of that. He hadn’t done anything wrong as far as he could tell, and he didn’t think he was _that_ dense not to realize what the problem was if it was in him. Also, Sasuke had been acting like that since their meeting with Hidan and then later had tried to act like there wasn’t a problem at all, but the thing is, that as much as Sasuke could fool anyone else, he couldn’t fool Naruto. So when he tried so desperately to act like nothing was wrong, it was only making Naruto more curious and definitely more angry and frustrated. Angry at Sasuke for trying to hide stuff when it was getting obvious they were concerning him and frustrated because all of his attempts to make him talk were turning out to be futile.

With a sigh Naruto tried to distract himself and so he focused on the sound of Deidara’s voice as he talked on the phone in the kitchen. He had turned out not to be such a psycho when he wasn’t on drugs. He was still somewhat crazy but in the good way, and overall he was a very nice person. As starters, he had allowed them to basically live off of him for two nights in a roll and had given them free make-overs which wouldn’t have costed very little if they were some random strangers. It was nice to have a friend in times like those when some other people, who claimed they were your best friend, suddenly decided you weren’t worth their time anymore, Naruto thought bitterly.

Their host clearly knew how much trouble he could get himself into if police was to come right now in search for them and it turned out he was hiding them. But risk or not, he had helped them and had given them a place to stay, different from the old, uncomfortable seats of the car they had stolen. Not to mention that he was currently ordering dinner for them while they were wearing his clothes. Seriously, Naruto had no idea if they would be ever able to repay him.

Suddenly there was movement on his side and Naruto turned his head to see Sasuke getting up from his seat on the couch.

“Where are you going?” Naruto asked on impulse and then flinched slightly when the raven seemed to tense up at the sound of his voice.

“Bathroom,” He answered stiffly and without so much as a glance at the blond, the raven continued walking through the living room with long, fast strides, apparently hurrying to get out of the room. Naruto took a wild guess that it wasn’t because he needed to take a shit so badly.

Once the blond heard a door shut somewhere in the distance, he let his eyes close and a tired sigh escaped his lips. His let his head fall back and stared at the ceiling, sadness swirling in his blue eyes despite not wanting to be bothered by his friend’s behavior. He just didn’t know what to do and what was wrong with his best friend. He didn’t know why said best friend was so intent on acting like Naruto was the was the chewed gum on the bottom of his shoe. Maybe he was stupid but he couldn’t figure out on his own what the problem was here and he felt so tired because Sasuke just didn’t seem to want to work it out with him.

Naruto lifted his head again and this time placed his chin on his knee, hugging his leg close to his body. A frown was marring his usually cheerful face and he felt like screaming. Of course when things seemed to be looking up for them something like that had to happen. He could never get a break now, could he? That was just his life.

“Hey, where’s Sasuke?” Deidara asked, walking into the room and taking his previous place on the couch next to the other blond.

“Said he was going to the bathroom or whatever,” Naruto answered solemnly and his statement was enforced by the distant sound of the toilet being flushed.

“So, um, what’s the problem between you two?” Deidara asked carefully, turning his body to face Naruto completely, ready to listen if need be. He was probably disappointed by the answer because Naruto just didn’t seem to have one. He watched as the frown on his younger friend’s face deepened and a mix of anger, sadness and confusion passed through his eyes.

“I wish I knew,” Naruto said quietly with another sigh, staring unseeingly at the television.

* * *

Sasuke didn’t even feel like using the bathroom, he had just wanted to get away for a minute. Naruto was his best friend and all, but he just felt so overwhelmed around him right now. He couldn’t stand it when the blond looked at him with those big, blue, innocent eyes because it made him remember the image of those same blue eyes half-lidded from pleasure and filled with lust. He couldn’t help but feel strange and tense whenever Naruto said something, be it an insult or his laughter, because he remembered the sound of that same voice, moaning and even begging at some point.

And he didn’t want that. He didn’t want to remember that stuff because as he already said, that was his best friend and he didn’t want to feel so strange and confused around him. He knew he was probably hurting Naruto right now but what was he supposed to do? He couldn’t just go out there and spill it. And at the same time though, he felt like if he didn’t say something, he was soon going to explode or breakdown and that was a new feeling for him because he had never felt such a strong need to share before.

So all in all the raven couldn’t do much except to stare at his reflection in the mirror and command himself to finally get a grip. Yeah, well, that was easier said than done apparently. Every time he even looked at Naruto, random images from last night’s events would flash through his mind. He just had to get it out of his system but he didn’t seem to know how. He was just tired of not being able to look at the blond without something sexual popping up in his head. And deep down he knew that if he wanted it to stop, he just had to suck it up and go talk to Naruto. Sadly, he just didn’t even know how to start the topic.

Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes. Then he opened them again and turned around to flush the toilet, not wanting to appear as if he had just stood there doing nothing like he had actually done. Then he turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on his face, hoping it would also clear his mind a little.

It didn’t.

Drying himself up, he took a deep breath and opened the door to the bathroom again.

“…problem between you two?” He heard Deidara ask and he frowned. There was a slight pause after the question and Sasuke had decided to use that time to prepare himself for whatever insult he was going to hear Naruto throw at him.

“I wish I knew,” The blond said so quietly, Sasuke had to strain his ears to hear properly. And no amount of time could have prepared him for the hurt he heard behind those words.

He closed the bathroom door a little too loudly than he usually would, just to notify the other two that he was coming, and then made his way towards the living room once again.

The first thing he did when he entered was to search Naruto’s face and he winced slightly when he saw the frown etched onto it. He would probably never admit that out loud, but it was a little painful to know that he was the one to put it on the usually smiling face.

Then the raven shook his head slightly and sighed as if finally reaching to a decision. He planned on asking Naruto to come with him to their room and then they could have a talk. Embarrassed or not, he was going to share what he had remembered and was going to take the blond’s reaction like a man.

He took a deep breath, ready to call Naruto’s name, when the washing machine signaled their clothes were already clean. That same second Deidara shot to his feet.

“Sasuke, come and help me with the clothes, hn?” He said with a smile. A little forced and kinda creepy smile when the raven thought about it.

“You can’t handle a couple of clothes?” The Uchiha asked with an arched eyebrow.

“I probably can, but it’s still your clothes we’re talking about,” He said and his creepy smile widened, though it never quite reached his eyes which were hard and almost glaring.

Naruto’s gaze flickered from one male to the other, understanding perfectly well what Deidara had in mind, though he was very doubtful that his plan was going to work. Sasuke was just stubborn like that.

He watched as the fight of wills continued for a total of six seconds until his best friend sighed deeply and made his way towards the blond that was already leading the way to the pantry.

Naruto’s eyebrows furrowed a little after they were gone but he soon shook his head and continued watching the TV. And very soon, it turned out that the killer was indeed the neighbor.

‘ _Stupid Sasuke, always guessing right_ ,’ He though with an angry scowl and changed the channel, putting a little too much force than it was needed on the buttons of the remote control.

* * *

“Okay, what’s going on?” Deidara asked quietly as he knelt in front of the washing machine, pulling clothes out of it and putting them away in a basket. He occasionally put some blond strands of hair behind his ear which kept on falling in his eyes.

“I think that’s none of your business,” Sasuke said, his arms crossed over his chest defensively. 

“Probably it wouldn’t be if it wasn’t happening in my apartment, hn,” He said, turning his head to give the raven a pointed look. The Uchiha just rolled his eyes though.

“If you want us to, we’ll leave right now,” He said bitterly, eyes narrowed in a glare.

“Still wearing my clothes? I don’t think so,” The blond said calmly, continuing with pulling out his two guest’s clothing from the machine. “Oh, and before you say that in half an hour yours would be dry, they won’t be, the drying machine broke down two days ago, sorry. Tough shit,” Deidara sing-sang at the end with a smile, though his tone remained uncharacteristically cold.

A minute later the blond had the basket full of clothes and still Sasuke hadn’t said a word. He got up with a sigh and turned around to stare into cold, obsidian eyes, completely unaffected by the look he was receiving.

“Look, I know it’s not my business and all,” Deidara began and watched as Sasuke opened his mouth to probably tell him in a very rude and snide way how right he was, but the blond didn’t give him the chance to because he continued talking. “But your best friend is in the other room, sulking and feeling down because of you and the way you act towards him, apparently without a reason.” He put emphasis on the phrase ‘best friend’.

“And how does that concern you?” Sasuke asked coldly, which Deidara ignored and just continued talking.

“And what I mean is, he apparently has no idea what he’s done to deserve that and instead of telling him, you keep acting like a total dick,” Deidara said, crossing his own arms over his chest. He didn’t care how insulting Sasuke planned on getting, he just couldn’t stand to see the usually happy blond so miserable because of the raven. He liked them both very much and it was awful to watch them act like that towards each other.

“Why don’t you stop butting in on our friendship?” Sasuke asked, turning to look at the opposite wall and Deidara mentally noted that the raven was obviously begging to brake.

“Because if it was really a friendship, you would be acting like an actual friend, you know. And it is pretty obvious you’re trying to hide something big. And believe me, hiding it wouldn’t help you at all in the long run,” Deidara said matter-of-factly.

“And what makes you think I’m hiding something?” The raven’s eyes narrowed into a glare.

“Okay, first of all, I don’t know if anyone has ever told you that, but you’re a terrible actor when it comes to Naruto,” He answered in a deadpan voice. “And even if you were the best one there was, I know how you two usually are around each other and what is happening tonight is nothing even remotely close to that,” The blond male explained with a shake of his head. “Do you plan on the whole time you are together from now on to be spent like that? Like, dude, I could probably cut a piece from the tension around you two with a knife and serve it for dinner!” He exclaimed, putting his hands on his hips and staring at Sasuke incredulously.

Sasuke sighed once more and rolled his eyes. What was it with those usually dense blonds that got really fucking perceptive at the worst of times?

“Okay, fine, there _is_ something but I just can’t tell Naruto right now, so you should drop it too. I’ll talk to him about it at some point if that makes you feel better so stop acting like my father,” Sasuke snapped, turning around to probably leave.

“And why can’t you tell him now, hn?” Deidara stopped him before he had even made the first step towards the door. He decided to ignore the insults in the sentence. He was used to Sasuke acting that way.

“First of all, he is involved too much in it, and second of all, even if he wasn’t, I’m not sure how he’s going to take it,” Sasuke said, a little angry at himself for giving in so easily and beginning to talk. Also, he didn’t know if it was just him, but he thought he sounding the slightest bit of desperate and that was just unacceptable.

“Are you sure you’re giving him enough credit? Naruto is one of the most open-minded people I know,” Deidara commented with a pulled up eyebrow.

“I know he is,” Sasuke said with a roll of his eyes. “But this is unmarked territory,” He tried to explain without telling the blond what was actually going on. And apparently, he failed miserably because Deidara caught on way too quickly on the hidden meaning behind those words.

“So this is about sex,” He stated with a click of his tongue, so sure in his words, he didn’t even feel the need to ask. And when the slightest shade of pink covered the raven’s cheeks, Deidara was all the more positive that his assumption had hit the mark.

With a determined nod and with his lips pursed, Deidara turned around and picked up the basket filled with the clothes.

“Come on, we’ll talk about it on the balcony while I hang up these,” He said with resolve and exited the pantry with a glaring raven in toll.

“What makes you think I want to talk to you about it?” He asked in a whisper so Naruto wouldn’t hear their conversation, arching an eyebrow even though Deidara couldn’t see him.

“Because you have no one else with whom you can talk about it before telling Naruto whatever it is that is bothering you,” The blond supplied, throwing Sasuke a smile of triumph over his shoulder when it appeared that the Uchiha didn’t have anything to say to that. “And you know this is a delicate topic, especially for virgins,” He then added with an obvious smirk on his face.

Even if it sounded serious, or well at least for the two teens in his apartment, it was hard for Deidara to refrain from teasing them. These two were like little brothers to him and what did older brothers do best? They teased you even while they were trying to help.

The balcony was connected to Deidara’s bedroom so they didn’t have to go through the living room on their way there. Sasuke wasn’t sure he was ready to face Naruto just yet anyway, despite his determination earlier. He realized that he had no idea what he was going to say when he had decided that he needed to talk to him and just now thought about how thankful he should be to Deidara for dragging him out of the room when he did. But of course, that meant that now, he would have to talk to him about it and as much as he thought he hated that, at some point he realized it might be for the best.

Deidara opened the door to the balcony and went out, waiting for the raven to follow and close the door behind them.

When he did so, Sasuke made his way to the table and chairs where they had had their coffee that morning and sat down, facing the blond and watching him with a bored expression as he began to hang up the clothes.

“So, what is the problem exactly?” The blond soon asked nonchalantly.

Sasuke knew that he would ask and he still had no idea how to say it without sounding childish for acting like he did almost all day long because of it. No doubt Deidara would find it stupid and not worth the fuss he had created. After a moment though, he decided that it was better to just man up and get it out of the way already.

“Well, um, there’s that thing that happened last night,” He began a little uncertainly, though he tried his best not to sound it. He had probably failed if Deidara’s quiet snort was anything to go by.

“Yeah, I gathered as much, hn,” Their host said, making Sasuke glare slightly for interrupting him only to be an ass.

“And the problem is, that I remember and Naruto doesn’t and I don’t know if I should tell him. As much as Naruto is predictable, he is even more _un_ predictable,” Sasuke finished his previous thought bitterly.

“Okay, but what exactly happened?” Deidara asked exasperatedly and then sighed when his question was followed by complete silence for the next thirty seconds. “Come on, Sasuke, you really think you can surprise me? I’m an experienced man and unless it was something _very_ kinky, which is doubtful considering both of your conditions last night, you wouldn’t faze me in the least,” He said.

“Fine! I remembered him giving me a handjob and I was kinda returning the favor,” Sasuke said irritably, turning his head to look out of the balcony. He didn’t sound as fazed by the whole thing as he was about telling Naruto it had happened, which kinda surprised Deidara. If it was Naruto in the raven’s place right now, he’d be probably blushing and fidgeting like crazy, only thinking about it. Or at least, the blond seemed embarrassed by these kinds of stuff a year ago when Deidara last saw him. There was always the chance he had matured a little since those times.  

“And you are so embarrassed to tell him because…?” The blond asked even if he was almost sure he knew the answer.

“I’m not embarrassed,” Sasuke clarified, though he knew he was lying through his teeth right then and there. Of course it would be embarrassing to go up in front of your best friend and just be like ' _H_ _ey, i don't know if you remember, but last night we were pleasuring each other, so there's that'_. How on earth does someone even start such a conversation. He wasn't the most talkative of people to begin with so his social skills didn't exactly cover that chapter from the book. “It’s just that he’s straight and I don’t know what to expect from his reaction,” Sasuke finished. That was also true. What if Naruto flipped out and decided to act fidgety and distant towards Sasuke. Yeah, it was hard to imagine, but still. As he said, Naruto was very unpredictable at times and he was also a total virgin.

“Uh-uh. Doesn’t sound very straight to me, you know. And are you implying that you aren’t heterosexual?” Deidara asked with amusement, reaching down to get another pair of jeans from the basket, apparently very happy that he had managed to turn Sasuke’s words against him and corner him with them.

“Okay, first of all, we were drunk, so concepts as straight and gay didn’t exist to us all that much,” Sasuke said with a deadpan look on his face and before he could continue, he was rudely interrupted again.

“Drunk or not, if it isn’t rape, and from what I gather it wasn’t, no one can make you do something you don’t want to or aren’t into, believe me. Of course, when you are intoxicated, it’s easy for someone to force you, but even then, while you can’t defend yourself, you know if you have wanted it or not,” The blond said, turning to give Sasuke a look that was telling him there was no way to argue with that. “I’ve had sex sober, I’ve had sex drunk and I’ve had it high and every time I knew exactly what I wanted. And sometimes, after a while, these experiences turn out to be real eye openers but they were still my choice at the time they happened,” He added at the end, more than sure that this would turn out to be the case here. There was just this sexual tension around these two which was noticeable from a plane and they both knew subconsciously what they wanted, just hadn’t fully realized it yet.

“I know that,” Sasuke said quietly and his eyes were suddenly set into a scorching glare which was aimed at the floor right now. But before the blond could even comprehend the Uchiha's reaction, it was gone and his face was one again emotionless. "Second of all," Sasuke continued as if he was never interrupted. “I’m still not completely sure if I’m straight or not. And truth be told, I don’t really care. I don’t have time for relationships right now,” He said matter-of-factly and reached for the pack of cigarettes that was lying on the table. Because of that he completely missed the arched eyebrow and knowing look he received but Deidara decided not to voice his thoughts about the raven's sexuality this time around.

“I don’t think that Naruto would react that badly, hn. He might feel strange for a while but he’ll get over it pretty quickly. I mean, come on, it was just a handjob, it’s not like you actually fucked or whatever,” Deidara said and heard the raven mutter something under his breath that sounded pretty close to ‘I hope not’ which made him try to suppress a laugh.

Sasuke lit the cigarette and took a long and much needed drag from it, enjoying the calm induced by the nicotine. Deidara, on his part, hung up the last shirt and went to sit next to Sasuke, taking a cigarette from the pack himself and lighting it.

“My advice is to think a little about what you really feel and what you really like and want, because it sounds to me like you’re really confused right now, hn. Figure it out for yourself first before trying to decide what Naruto's reaction would be like,” The blond said wisely, puffing out a cloud of smoke towards the night sky, not even looking at Sasuke as he talked.

The raven sighed and turned to look at the night sky himself, taking another drag of his cancer stick while he traced a plane in the distance with his eyes as it passed by. He realized that sharing with someone time at a time really was helpful and relaxing, though it soon got clear it wasn’t with the right someone. And also, how could Deidara be so sure that the blond in the other room wouldn’t take it badly, he didn’t know Naruto better than Sasuke did. But then again, he was gay so he had to have gone through that himself. Through the confusion at first and not being sure what you wanted. Could it really be that Sasuke was gay too? And okay, fine, he had experimented with guys before and couldn’t say he was exactly a virgin at that point, but it was normal to experiment, right? Didn’t mean he was really gay, especially when you take into consideration the fact, that all of those experiments were done when he was drunk or high. Although Deidara’s previous words about knowing what you want, no matter your state of mind, kinda put those ‘experiments’ under a new light. He hadn’t given them that much thought before. Sex was just something trivial for him and he didn’t really care about labels as gay or straight or whatever. It was just that the conversation he just had had made him think about it. Was he gay?

Yeah, he had never before taken any interest in any girl ever, but that could just mean he had not met the right one yet, right?

Pfft, yeah, as if. He, very obviously a hormonal teenager that had gotten hard for Naruto last night, was waiting to meet the right girl. He almost laughed at the notion but the somewhat disturbing thought about his reaction to Naruto stopped him from doing so. But just as Deidara said, no one could force you to like something if you actually don’t, influenced by alcohol or not, so maybe Naruto wouldn’t be so repulsed by the idea of them being together like that. The blond had no memories of last night, but Sasuke could clearly remember the way Naruto had eagerly moaned and pleaded. He was sure he hadn't been exactly quiet himself which was also disturbing and actually spoke volumes if he thought about it, but he decided that this was something which he could let bother him another time.

Sasuke realized that he had a lot of new stuff to think about tonight but first he had to talk to Naruto and see where they stood, how the blond would react and thus what they were going to do afterwards about it, and if their behavior towards each other would change in any way. He hoped not, but he was afraid he wouldn’t be the one calling the shots on this one.

“Thanks,” He muttered very quietly after a while when he threw the butt of his cigarette through the balcony. Deidara didn’t answer him, just smiled, letting Sasuke know that he was always welcome whenever he needed to talk.

* * *

Naruto was on the verge of just getting up and beginning to pace around the living room while pulling his hair out. What was taking them so long? They were gone for probably over twenty minutes now. Were they drying the clothes with their breaths?

He sighed and tried to calm down. _They are probably just talking_ , he tried to reason and it turned out that this thought actually made him feel worse because that meant Sasuke was willing to spend so much time talking to Deidara, but wouldn’t even look at him? What kind of a shitty best friend had he gotten himself?

He groaned and threw the remote control next to him on the couch, realizing that browsing through the channels a couple of hundred times in the span of fifteen minutes wasn’t going to make anything magically appear on TV that would take his mind off of the raven.

Naruto pouted and lifted his head up to stare at the ceiling. Soon though, he heard a door open and then close somewhere in the apartment and then two pairs of footsteps getting closer to the living room. He quickly put his legs down and leaned back on the couch, pretending to be relaxed and totally immersed in whatever show he had stopped on not even two seconds ago.

Deidara and Sasuke walked into the room and Naruto had probably expected the raven to just walk by and sit back on the couch, because he was actually surprised when Sasuke stopped in front of him, blocking his view of the TV on purpose while staring at him with an intent look in his eyes.

“I was watching that, bastard,” Naruto said coldly, turning his head up to glare at Sasuke who had pulled up a fine eyebrow at the attitude. Okay maybe he deserved it, but still.

“And since when are you that interested in...” He turned around to look at the TV behind him and almost face-palmed. “Dora the explorer?” He asked in a deadpan voice and heard Deidara snort from beside Naruto, though he quickly masked it with a cough before Naruto's glare could be turned in his direction.

“And what do you know about me and my interests?” Naruto said with a scowl, crossing his arms over his chest. At that Sasuke closed his eyes and sighed, reminding himself that he wasn’t there to fight with the blond. He took a deep breath and was just opening his mouth when the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” Deidara said and before any of them knew it, he was out of the room, leaving them alone.

Sasuke then tried again, he took another deep breath and shifted his gaze to stare directly in Naruto’s eyes.

“We need to talk,” He finally said, sighing loudly.

“We do?” Naruto asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice as he pulling one eyebrow up _._ And Sasuke understood that gesture perfectly. He also understood he deserved the sassiness but that still didn't mean he liked it.

“Yeah, would you just come with me?” He asked and turned to leave the room.

“Come where?” He heard his friend ask, still a little bitter.

“To the guest room, I don’t want Deidara to interrupt us,” And with that, he exited the living room.  A second later he sighed in relief when he heard Naruto’s footsteps following him out into the hallway.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sooo... was it good? Did you like it? I need your thoughts and opinions to fuel myself lol.  
I really hope you enjoyed it, expect more drama in the next chapter. Maybe a fight between Naruto and Sasuke,who knows? Well, I do, but I won't be giving any more spoilers so you'll just have to wait and read.

 

 

 


	8. It's not so bad

**A/N:** This one was almost late but not quite. I just had one hella hectic weekend which is still not over despite the fact that it's eight in the evening on a Sunday. That said, I didn't have a lot of time for proof-reading so please excuse any mistakes you may find in this. This chapter feels strange to me. I don't know why, but I'll leave that to you, so yes, I'd really love to hear your opinions on this one.

Enjoy!

* * *

 

“Are you going to talk or did you drag me here just to ignore me again?” Naruto asked with his arms crossed over his chest. He was leaning on the door to the bedroom they would be sharing again tonight and was staring expectantly at his raven friend, one eyebrow pulled up in question much like the Uchiha loved to do. If things continued this way, one of them was going to sleep on the couch tonight and it wasn’t going to be Naruto.

“Look,” Sasuke began with a sigh, and finally managed to lift his eyes and lock them with the blue ones for more than a second. He opened his mouth to continue and realized that no matter how many times he had gone over the conversation in his head, the words just wouldn’t come out when they had to. They stayed locked in his throat and suddenly he was very nervous again about the outcome of it all. And one thing (among many others) he hated the most, was to be nervous. “It’s just that I had a memory…” He finally forced out, realizing how pathetic he must have sounded after stopping there. Yet another thing he despised.

“Yeah, I have a lot of memories too but you don’t see me acting like a dick about it,” Naruto said bitingly.

“Would you just shut up and let me talk?” He asked, feeling his temper flare at the attitude. He was trying here and all Naruto did was make it harder for him. It was bad enough without him being such a smartass.

“If you were actually talking then yes, with pleasure,” The blond countered with a glare. At first, when he had been dragged in there, he had decided that Sasuke would finally tell him what was bothering him but then the raven just didn’t seem to want to even look at him again. He was still keeping quiet and was acting like he was suddenly oh so interested in the old wallpapers in the room. That was when Naruto’s temper had flown out of the window and he had decided to act like a bastard himself. See if the asshole liked it when the tables were turned.

“I remembered something from last night, okay?” Sasuke suddenly said, sounding annoyed and exasperated and that made Naruto realize that probably being such an ass hadn’t been a very good idea. He knew what a freak Sasuke was when they were talking about physical contact and knowing they had some very prominent markings all over their necks kinda suggested that probably his memory didn’t entail playing cards or something similarly innocent. And just like that, Naruto’s temper crawled up the outside wall of the building and come back through the same window it had been thrown from.

“And you didn’t tell me earlier?” He sounded somewhat incredulous, significantly more clam now. “What was it?” He asked, searching his friend’s face.

His calm didn’t last long when he saw red spread over Sasuke’s cheeks. Now he was very curious and was barely keeping himself from gripping Sasuke’s shoulders and shaking the teen until he spilled the beans because the raven had gone suspiciously quiet and embarrassed again. And god, that was so unlike his best friend that it made the anticipation of finding out even worse. He was also kind of afraid to find out too because his backside still hurt a lot and being drunk and high wasn’t how he imagined he would lose his virginity. He had imagined it to be with a guy even less and it was kinda terrifying to think about it. Though if it really turned out to be the case… well Naruto imagined that he had to feel repulsed by the idea, and the fact that the thought of it didn’t make him gag was scary in itself. But he guessed that it would explain why Sasuke couldn’t bear to even look at him. Maybe he was just so disgusted by the whole thing that even being close to Naruto made him uncomfortable and jerky. And probably every straight guy would be, no matter if they had problems with physical contact or not.

Wait, was Naruto doubting his own sexuality? It was, of course, a strange thing to know you’ve slept with your male best friend but it was leading him to some interesting thoughts about himself when the strange thought turned out to be just that. Not repulsing or disgusting, not even that terrifying, but just strange. Strange like the first sip of alcohol you have ever had or the first drag you’ve ever taken from a cigarette, which made you wonder how people drank or smoked and Naruto sure hoped this wouldn’t turn out to be as addictive as the previous two, despite the slight disgust they all invoked at first.

Oh, how he hoped it wasn’t that bad. They spent so much time together that no doubt the raven will start to feel even more uncomfortable around him than he did right now. And of course he’ll keep his distance if Naruto didn’t seem so uncomfortable about the whole situation like him. He’ll probably think that his best friend had a thing for him and that would definitely push every straight guy away. And it was even worse when Naruto was just beginning to think about these things and wasn’t yet sure himself if he could be batting for the other team or not.

“So, are you going to tell me tonight or…?” He asked, trying, and probably failing miserably at hiding his anticipation. The worry he hid well but he guessed that curiosity wasn’t so bad if it showed.

“We were giving each other handjobs,” Sasuke finally dropped the bomb with an even tone and he cast his eyes away again, preparing himself for the explosion it would cause.

And an explosion was what he received, though it didn’t sound like what he had actually expected throughout the whole day.

“You acted like even more of an asshole all fucking day long because I gave you a damned handjob?” Naruto shouted incredulously, making Sasuke wince at the volume and completely miss the relief in Naruto’s voice. The blond could deal with simple handjobs. It wasn’t as bad as he had imagined at least. Definitely could have been worse, and while the thought of having another guy’s dick, your best friend’s no less, in your hand was still kinda not okay with him, it was definitely something he could easily deal with. He just hoped Sasuke could as well, though right now it was kinda obviously doubtful.

Fine, it was a really strange concept and friends usually didn’t do that with each other, but god damn it, they were drunk at that time and not to mention high as kites! And sure, there was still the fact that Sasuke was anal even about the slightest of touches but Naruto was sure he couldn’t remember everything _that_ well!

“And so what? How did you expect me to react if you told me earlier?” He couldn’t help but ask, eye wide in disbelief and searching the dark ones that were still somewhat hesitant to hold his gaze. He couldn’t believe a stupid handjob had almost made their friendship fall apart! Okay, maybe that was a little bit over-exaggerated, but still!

“I didn’t know, okay? I didn’t want you to feel strange around me and give me funny looks for god knows how much time,” Sasuke explained snappishly, crossing his arms over his chest. Now that it was out in the open, why wouldn’t Naruto just drop it and let him be? He should be glad Sasuke even told him in the end.

“And you decided to do just that?” Naruto asked, hands flailing around. “The conversation we had this morning about how I was afraid that you would be acting all detached and moody and stuff if we’ve done something didn’t get to you at all? And in the end, you went and did exactly that because you were afraid of _my_ reaction?” Naruto faked a laugh. “Oh my god I can’t believe it. And this has been going on since we were at Hidan’s, right?” Naruto said, sounding in disbelief. “You did to me exactly what you didn’t want me to do to you. Like, man that is the most immature thing I’ve ever seen you do and you’re told that by me, the guy you keep on calling childish all of the fucking time,” Naruto said with a pointed look at him, making Sasuke roll his eyes and then turn his head to the side.

The raven watched the wall above the bed with a glare, realizing how stupid he had been and he hated himself for turning everything into such a big problem. Naruto was right. What had he expected? He was the one that had problems with touching and in turn, did to Naruto exactly what he was afraid the blond would do to him. Of course, there was still the thing about the blond reminding him of what they’d done every time he so much as looked at him but he guessed there was no way Naruto could experience that if he didn’t remember it himself and that would be a bitch to explain without giving away all of the details. Details, he had no intention of disclosing in hopes of saving himself at least some of the embarrassment from the whole situation.

“At least tell me it was a damn good one, because god so help me, if you pulled this shit because of a half-assed handjob I’m gonna flip for real,” Naruto said, sounding serious and making Sasuke sputter a little, his blush returning full-force because frankly, these were the last words he had ever expected to hear from Naruto’s mouth tonight.

“I don’t know, idiot, it’s still very blurry and it’s not like I get handjobs on a daily basis,” He said, tempted to hit Naruto over his blond head for that stupid question.

“Do you want to?” The blond asked, wiggling his eyebrows at Sasuke and then he couldn’t help but laugh at the shocked expression that earned. Suddenly, the temptation to hurt Naruto increased tenfold, though he guessed that terrible jokes was better than having to walk on egg shells around each other from now on.

“I fucking hate you,” Sasuke told him with a scowl and made to exit, but Naruto grabbed his wrist, effectively stopping him from doing so.

The reason for that misplaced joke though, was very simple. The first step to getting over something was to accept it, right? That, Naruto did. And the second, he guessed was to make jokes about it to show that it didn’t bother you, so why not? It at least eased the mood significantly and made Sasuke act more normally. Ah, how he missed that normal level of bastardy attitude all day.

“Gee, bastard, calm down, I was just joking,” He said, that stupid grin still on his face. Sasuke then sighed deeply and closed his eyes. He had to at least cut Naruto some slack after putting him through all that shit today. And he should be probably thankful the blond hadn’t reacted as he had expected him to, because it sure had gone worse in his head when he had imagined this conversation earlier.

“So we’re good,” Sasuke said, sounding as if he was saying it more to himself then to the blond, who answered anyway.

“Of course we are,” Naruto told him, slightly surprised. “I mean, that is if you stop with all of the ignoring and scowling around me. Like, really, I don’t know what you expected here, reactions like these are your fort anyway. Coupled up with your tendency to over-think abso-fucking-lutely everything and there you have it. Exactly what you don’t want others to do, so just stop doing it to me,” The blond said simply.

Sasuke knew that Naruto was right, but that was a rare one, so of course he wouldn’t admit to him that he had been in the wrong. How dare he be right for once, ruining the balance of their friendship? The raven glared at him, albeit very weakly and more out of habit, and then shifted his gaze to the hand still holding his wrist.

“See! Exactly what I’m talking about! I don’t get weirded out by contact, further more when I can’t even remember it. Although it feels strange to think about it, it’s not that big of a deal for me. We were drunk anyway, right? Why should we let it ruin our friendship when we’re sober?”

Sasuke though about what Deidara had told him, that drunk or not you could still tell what was okay for you and what wasn't, but he decided to keep that to himself for now. It was something he didn’t think neither he nor Naruto were ready to dwell on right now.

“Yeah, it was dumb, sorry, I should have told you and I’m glad we’re fine. Can I go eat now?” Sasuke said it all very fast and in one breath so it took the blond a moment to process all the words he had heard in the span of two seconds.

Sasuke really didn’t see the point in this conversation anymore when all was cleared and apparently good between them so he just couldn’t wait for it to be finally over. He still had some hard time looking Naruto in the eye for more than a couple of second but he hoped that it would soon pass. It had to.

Naruto chuckled, finally letting go of Sasuke’s hand and the raven tried to ignore the tingling sensation left on his wrist afterwards.

“Yeah, I’m starving too,” The blond said and opened the door, apparently done with deciphering the words Sasuke had shot out so hastily. He waited for his friend to exit first and he followed him into the dark hallway.

“And was that a sorry I heard somewhere in there?” He asked teasingly.

“Shut up before I hit you,” Sasuke advised in a low tone, but still smiled when he heard Naruto laugh from behind him. It was good to hear that again.

* * *

They entered the living room and Deidara instantly noticed the air around his two younger friends had drastically changed. The tension had obviously melted and had been replaced by playfulness and friendly banter once again, if the words he had heard from the hallway were anything to go by.

He grinned brightly at them and got up from the couch.

“Now that I’m sure the food won’t go foul by the glares you two were throwing around earlier, let’s eat, hn!” He announced and turned around to enter the kitchen that was connected with the living room. There, in the middle of the dining table, were placed a couple of cardboard boxes from which a mouth-watering scent was coming, and in front of three of the chairs were placed dishes and surprisingly, chopsticks.

Naruto was the first to claim his seat by the table and with a large grin he began opening the boxes. Once opened, steam escaped from them and the blond closed his eyes, inhaling deeply the heavenly smell that came with it. He and Sasuke hadn’t had a decent, cooked meal since they escaped the center and had lived off of dry sandwiches bought from little gas-stations ever since. To say that Naruto was happy right now would have been a major understatement.

Sasuke and the other blond soon took their seats and Naruto barely waited at all before filling his dish with fried rice and vegetables, spaghetti, and fried chicken nuggets in sweet-sour sauce.

“So, what do you guys want to do after dinner?” Naruto suddenly asked after swallowing his first bite of the delicious food.

“I don’t know, we can rent a movie or something,” Deidara suggested and put a strand of hair behind his ear.

“Nah, I think I had enough television for tonight,” Naruto answered, grabbing some rice between his chopsticks and bringing it towards his mouth.

“Since you suggested we do something, why don’t you tell us what you want to do and I’ll tell you how dumb it is,” Sasuke said casually without lifting his gaze from his food, though the amusement behind his word was obvious. Just like it was obvious he was making an attempt at interacting with his best friend like he did any other day.

“Don’t act like anyone cares about what you think. We all know you don’t know how to have fun anyway,” The blond answered with a pitying smile that never really reached his eyes. Instead they were filled with humor.

“Just like we all know that a four year old’s idea of fun would be more mature than yours, idiot,” Sasuke bit back, his eyes narrowing slightly as he turned to look at his friend, realizing that with how annoying the blond could be, it wasn’t hard at all to fall again into the habit of fighting and insulting.

“Still much better than being a sulking emo, I at least have some fun,” Naruto said, his eyes narrowing into a glare of his own.

Deidara’s eyes shifted from the raven to Naruto, watching with amusement as the banter between them continued.  After all this time he was still amazed how they managed to make this friendship work despite all the obstacles. It was more than obvious that underneath the glares and the insults they enjoyed each other’s company more than anyone else’s, and still they made it look like they couldn’t wait to strangle the other.

Though, from what Deidara knew had happened between them, it was completely possible there was something else there which they just hadn’t realized yet and for now, they were only searching for ways to provoke each other. Maybe they were just aiming for a reaction from the other more than anything else.

Deidara wasn’t sure how often they fought physically, but he had a theory that they didn’t mind those fights too much either.

“How do you two even manage, hn?” He asked with a smirk, trying to sound incredulous.

“Don’t even make me start on the horror I am forced to live through every day,” Sasuke said and stuffed some spaghetti in his mouth. Apparently, he hadn’t caught on their host’s intent.

“Yeah, like your ass is such good company,” Naruto said with a roll of his eyes. “And you haven’t even seen anything, my friend, believe me,” Naruto told Deidara with a slight shake of his head. “I don’t even know from where to start. Every morning he’s so grumpy, it’s like the stick up his ass is twisting and burying itself even deeper than usual, and all he does is fix his hair and ‘hn’ at everything,” Naruto purposely dropped his voice lower and made a face while imitating the sound, successfully making Sasuke glare at him through his dark bangs. “Then, just when I think that he might be reaching some record for emo-ness, something usually very little sets him off and he gets even more antisocial and grumpy and I’m yet again amazed at how I managed to even make friends with him,” The blond finished, directing a foul look at Sasuke.

“I myself wonder that too. How could I have ever been dumb enough to allow him to be my friend,” Sasuke said back.

“At least we both agree that you are dumb,” Naruto said then with a smirk of triumph on his face.

“Yeah, you must be contagious,” Sasuke answered nonchalantly, watching with satisfaction as that smirk was whipped away from Naruto’s face. “Though I could never even dream of reaching your level of stupidity,” He added and he could see the blond’s jaw working.

“You bastard, why don’t you shut up already,” Naruto growled, directing a heated glare towards Sasuke’s smug expression.

Deidara watched them through the fingers of the hand he had used to face palm himself once the fight had been resumed. His plan to make them think about why they preferred each other more than anyone else had totally backfired. Seriously, what was wrong with these two? This was way beyond teasing, they were outright insulting each other and it was amazing how five minutes earlier they weren’t even talking to one another and he was sure that five minutes later they would probably be sitting next to the other and will again interact like nothing had happened. He started to think more and more that there really must be something between them but they just couldn’t see it yet. Well, things were always more obvious from the outside, he guessed.

“You guys do realize that you act like an old-married couple, right? I wouldn’t be surprised if later that night you had make-up sex or something,” He said with something very close to amusement in his voice, a small smirk playing on his lips as he grabbed some food with his chopstick. He was sure he had hit the nail on the head, knowing what had transpired last night between the two.

Deidara was very pleased with himself for making Naruto choke on his food and Sasuke to sputter and frown at the unexpected comment. The blushes sure were a good sign too, at least if you asked the hairdresser.

“What do you mean?” Naruto asked, finally getting the food to go the right way again, although he could do nothing about the pink on his face. He hoped it would be believable enough if he blamed it on the coughing fit it took him so he wouldn't die from chocking.

“Well, you guys fight like my parents used to. You make it look like you can’t stand each other and yet, you’re always together and not a minute after you had a fight, you are able to be the best of friends again. Also, you’re a very good team and sometimes interact without even using words. It’s disturbing, confusing and amazing how you manage that while still fighting,” Deidara explained, finishing his speech with a slight shrug, after which he put some food in his mouth. “And after almost every fight my folks had sex so…” The blond added after a second or two with that same amused smirk on his face.

“You’re right,” Sasuke began, making Deidara pull his brow up, even more amused than before. The raven then realized how that had sounded and he had to elaborate because Naruto was once again chocking on his food. “We can’t stand each other,” He added and brought some food to his mouth. Naruto was just frowning thoughtfully beside him after having to redirect his bite again. “Although, we don’t really have a choice but to work together in order to get what we want. It’s just easier if we are together and our teamwork is as good as it is because we’ve been around each other since we were four. It’s only natural we have such a bond,” The raven said after swallowing his food. He was looking at Deidara while talking, and even after he finished, he didn’t dare shift his gaze towards Naruto. He was aware of the blue eyes staring at him and even without looking at him he could feel the… fondness in them?

He then looked at Naruto only to see the blond had lowered his head while chasing some rice with his chopsticks. And sure there was a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“Yeah, he’s not so bad all of the time,” Naruto said and lifted his head again. “I mean, yeah, he’s a total asshole but I guess that he understands me the most and I think it’s the same for him. There were times when we didn’t fight as often. When we were little we were more concerned about having each other’s backs than fighting, though we still managed to throw in a fist or an insult here and there,” Naruto smiled at the memory, making even Deidara smile slightly at the fondness in Naruto’s tone and expression. That was exactly what he was aiming for. “It’s just that we are so different, there’s no way for us to not fight. Right, bastard?” Naruto asked with that same genuine smile and it was obvious there was no insult behind the name.

“Yeah, whatever, idiot,” Sasuke answered, not looking up from his dish, though it was still visible that a small smile was tugging at the corner of his lips too, just like it was obvious the name was more affectionate than anything else.

Huh, maybe Deidara had to leave the hair-styling and aim for family psychologist?

They resumed eating in peace for about five more minutes until another argument exploded between the two teens, though this time, there were more teasing smirks in there than heated glares.

* * *

Naruto’s eyes were narrowed almost into slits as he perceptively scanned the other three faces around the room, trying to decide who was bluffing and who was for real. Unfortunately, he turned up with nothing in the end. The others were just as good as him at the game, if not better. And let’s not talk about Sasuke’s skills at hiding his emotions and keeping a poker face.

“I’m in,” He finally said conspicuously and threw some ‘money’ in the middle of the circle they had made on the floor. “And I raise the stakes with twenty,” He added.

Naruto, Sasuke, Deidara and Suigetsu (who had turned to be one of Deidara’s neighbors) were all sitting in a circle on the carpeted floor of the living room. They were playing poker and Naruto had the sinking feeling that he might be losing this one round. Their money wasn’t exactly money, thankfully. God only knew, they barely had enough to eat, much less to gamble, so fortunately, the older blond had pulled out a big pack of M&M’s and they had used the candy as currency, every single one representing ten bucks so the numbers wouldn’t seem so low to the players.

Sasuke casually smirked and threw a couple more candies in the dish in the middle.

“Fine,” He said. “I add twenty more,” and with that he glanced at Suigetsu who was sitting on his left side. The boy contemplated his move for a total of five seconds before smirking too and adding the needed candy to continue in the game and then three more.

It was Deidara’s turn and the blond smiled mischievously.

“I rise with fifty more,” He announced and counted the candy in his hand before throwing them in the dish for the bets.

It was Naruto’s turn and he frowned slightly at his cards. He still had a good amount of ‘money’ but even so, his cards weren’t looking all that good. He then sighed and placed them down on the carpet, face down.

“Pass,” He announced with a pout and a huff. He still wanted to have something to eat after the game was over and with these push overs around him, it wasn’t likely he’ll have anything left if he continued.

Sasuke, with that same irritating smirk of his, kept eye-contact with Deidara as he put the candy and raised the stakes with thirty more. Naruto noticed how Suigetsu’s eyes first widened slightly and then his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the raven, apparently trying to decide if it was all a bluff.

Naruto almost laughed at his attempt. What the guy didn’t know was that Sasuke was an impenetrable forth when he wanted to be and that sure came in handy when you were playing such games. Only Naruto knew the raven well enough to see through him, though at times he also faced difficulty. So when Suigetsu, just as expected, figured out nothing, he sighed and made a grimace.

“Shit man, I’m passing too,” He said and did the same with his cards as Naruto. Said blond sent him an apologetic smile which in turn made the white-haired teen roll is eyes but still grin at the end.

“I accept,” Deidara announced and put another thirty bucks in the middle of the circle. “You have anything else to add?” He asked with a bright smile that would have probably fooled anyone else but not Sasuke. The raven noticed the slight twitch in the blond’s eye and smirked, knowing he was going to win this. He glanced at his dish with ‘money’ and grabbed a couple, then threw them in the middle, announcing sixty more.

Naruto watched him with an arched eyebrow, noticing the smug smirk on the pale features and wondering how good of a hand he must have to be so confident about his win. Though, knowing Sasuke and his skills in those games, he didn’t really need that good of a hand to be able to win.

Deidara put the six candies with very slight hesitation, but it still didn’t escape the Uchiha. Oh, how he loved his ability to read people so well.

“Are we done?” The blond asked smugly, though Sasuke didn’t buy any of that smugness, knowing it was all a front. Not like his wasn’t, but he was just so much better at making it believable. And Naruto said he wasn’t a good actor.

“Forty more,” The raven said evenly, watching as the blue eyes of his opponent widened slightly at first. Then the blond smirked himself, though it was a little strained, and put some more candies in the dish, rising the bet with thirty more. Not one to be outdone, the raven of course, put the needed M&M’s and then three more.

Naruto and Suigetsu were following with their eyes the exchange between the two. They noticed how Sasuke kept his confidence throughout the whole game, even going as far as already smirking in triumph while Deidara was getting more and more uncertain in what he did, and Naruto knew that it was exactly what the Uchiha was aiming for with that smug expression constantly on his face. He wanted the blond to _think_ that Sasuke had a better hand, no matter if he did or not, but Naruto only knew it because he knew Sasuke. The raven just hated showing any weakness, that’s why none of his nerves ever showed.

That last number made the blond participant frown and reach for his money but he soon found out he already had very little left so puffing his cheeks out, and with an exasperated roll of his blue eyes, he finally said what Sasuke had been waiting for this whole round.

“Fine, hn,” He said in irritation. “You win,” And Deidara dropped his cards and crossed his arms over his chest. His bluff only got him so far apparently.

With a smirk of triumph Sasuke, revealed his cards.

“WHAT?” Three collective shouts resonated around the room, accompanied by the loud echo of a strong face-palm, as it got obvious how weak Sasuke’s hand was. Actually, it was the weakest of all.

“You bluffing, smug, son of a bitch, I totally had a better hand than you!” Naruto said, hands flailing around in irritation.

“Should have stayed in the game then, moron,” The raven answered with satisfaction as he reached for the dish in the middle to put all of its’ contents in his own.

“I fucking hate your emotionless, emo face,” The blond grumbled under his breath while Deidara was still holding his forehead where his hand had made contact earlier.

“I can’t believe I let myself be played by a little brat,” He said in disbelief, shaking his head in apparent disappointment.

“And I, unlike these two, want to congratulate you, because shit, dude, this is the first time I’ve seen Deidara lose so disgracefully,” Suigetsu said with a grin, showing his sharp teeth. “You’ve earned my respect,” He announced cheerfully.

“I want another round,” Naruto shouted energetically and slammed his fist on the ground. He gathered all of the cards and began to immediately mix the deck with a scowl on his face. He even threw Sasuke a filthy glare, as if seizing him, making the raven roll his eyes at the behavior and mutter a quiet ‘moron’ under his breath.

“Yeah, me too, hn. No way am I letting this smug piece of shit ruin my reputation!” He announced, “I’ll blow you to pieces this round, hn!” He said and turned to his dish to count what he got. His enthusiasm died down a little as he counted his ‘money’, but that didn’t bring down his determination in the least.

Naruto had just begun to thrown the cards around the circle when the sound of a phone going off interrupted him. He glanced up to see the other blond pulling out his cellphone from his pocket, a small frown on his face, probably wondering who it could be at this time. The frown then quickly disappeared the moment he read the caller ID, and instead was replaced by excitement and a bright grin that almost split his face in half.

“Weasel!” He shouted into the phone as he picked up. He quickly got to his feet and exited the room, evidently to talk to ‘weasel’ in privet. The skip in his walk also didn’t go unnoticed by anyone in the room, causing some pulled up eyebrows and an irritated sigh.

Naruto and Sasuke shared a look of confusion. Then Sasuke arched his eyebrow even higher and the blond just shrugged and shook his head, making the raven frown in contemplation and glance at the door from which not two seconds ago a very cheerful Deidara had exited.

Suigetsu was also confused, not by Deidara, but the interaction between the other two, though after only a second he sighed again, giving up on deciphering the silent conversation.

“Great, now we’ll have to wait for god knows how much until we resume the game,” He said to no one in particular with a shake of his head.

“Why?” The blond asked, turning his confused expression to the white-haired boy.

“Well, “Weasel” is his boyfriend Itachi who he hasn’t seen in weeks. I’ll be surprised if he even gets off the phone sometime before tomorrow morning,” Suigetsu explained with a bored and somewhat irritated expression. Then the teen got up from the floor and went over to the kitchen.

Naruto slowly nodded his head absent-mindedly while he stared at the door to the living room, making Sasuke wonder what he was thinking about behind that glazed-over look in his eyes.

“Hey Sasuke, doesn’t that name sound kinda familiar to you,” He asked with a frown, his eyes still on the door, obviously trying to put his finger on the memory that was tickling his mind.

Of course Sasuke had no such problem. The name wasn’t exactly the same but it was one latter away from ‘Tachi’. He remembered well his favorite toy. He also remembered how devastated he had been when he was about eight and someone had stolen the toy from him. He never saw it again and didn’t even have a chance to look for it properly because not a week later he, Naruto and a bunch of other kids were transferred to another facility. He also remembered how the blond had made a fool of himself all the time, trying to take the raven’s mind off of his lost friend.

Then Suigetsu reappeared with three bottles of beer in his hands. He gave one to each of the other two, successfully braking their train of thoughts before going to sit on the couch, explaining that if Deidara was dumping them, then they were going to drink his beer. He took a big gulp of his bottle and reached for the remote control that was lying on the cushions beside him.

“Really,” The boy continued when he began to surf through the channels. “I don’t even know how they actually got together. Itachi is so creepy at times and has that intense scary look in his eyes like he can set you on fire with them only if he so wishes to, and he has that brute intelligence, it’s very chilling how perceptive he is and even more than that, it’s annoying. He’s also always wearing that poker face of his so it really makes me wonder how they even met. They are from entirely different social-circles. Though I guess that the saying is right that opposites attract,” The boy finished with a shrug, finally stopping at some random channel when a small smirk appeared on his lips. “Something like you two, I guess,” He added. “You both even bare a resemblance to them,” He said, already grinning at the boys still sitting on the floor.

“Maybe, but we aren’t dating,” Naruto said matter-of-factly and got up from his seat on the floor, only to plop himself down on the couch next to Deidara’s neighbor.

“Oh, don’t give me that shit again. Last night you said the same and then not thirty seconds later you were sucking faces like your lives depended on it. And let’s not even talk about the hickeys I can’t even count,” He said and received a glare from the raven in response to the grin that had appeared on his face. Sadly, the glare was weak and only amused him more because of the small blush accompanying it. Naruto, on his side, didn’t even try to glare. He was focusing all of his energy not to blush as Sasuke did.

“That’s because you probably can’t count. Also, we were drunk and we were high, so drop it already,” Sasuke said slowly in a low, threatening tone while he got up from the floor as well, making Suigetsu rise his hands in mock surrender and then take another sip from his beer, probably just to hide that annoying smirk of his.

A couple of seconds later, when Naruto had finally made his blush go away, he felt Suigetsu poke his cheek. He slapped the hand away and turned to send the culprit an irritated glare. He was also about to give him a piece of his mind, but was taken aback when he noticed the other teen was just shaking his head and smirking knowingly.

“Man, he has to be great in bed if you willingly put up with him on a daily basis,” The boy said, still shaking his head as he turned towards the TV again. And just like that, Naruto’s blush was back full force, probably ten times more intense than before. He didn’t even try to argue, already knowing it would be futile. Besides, he didn’t want to attract any attention to his beat-red face right now so he just raised his hand and hit the grinning boy over the head without even moving his gaze from the TV.

That’s why the blond, too immersed in fighting with Suigetsu and with the blush on his face, completely missed the red on Sasuke’s, result from the comment he had apparently overheard. Not like it came as surprise, they were sitting not a foot away from each other, but Sasuke suddenly wished he hadn’t heard anything at all. Now, because of it, flashes from last night once again were going through his head as if on repeat. And by the sounds accompanying the visuals, he thought that yes, he might be actually good in bed.

Despite his blush, Sasuke smirked.

* * *

Deidara was leaning over the opened window with a large smile on his face. The sun was shining high in the sky and the small breeze was swaying softly his long blond strands that fell over his shoulders.

“Well, good luck, hn. Once this is over you can swing by again sometime, I’d love to hear how it had all ended,” He said cheerfully.

“No worries man, thanks again for taking us in. Like really, I don’t know how we are ever going to repay you,” Naruto said with a smile rivaling the other blond’s. Deidara just waved a hand dismissively.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. The pleasure was all mine, hn. But I guess you were lucky that you got here when you did because sometime later today I’m leaving town for a while,” The blond explained, a wistful expression taking over his face that didn’t go unnoticed at all.

“Going to meet “Weasel” hmm?” Naruto wiggled his brows suggestively and watched as Deidara laughed, his blue eyes twinkling with happiness. The truth was he was feeling very giddy today. The knowledge that he was very soon going to see his boyfriend again was doing all sorts of strange things to him and his mood. Not like he was ever one to be gloomy but even he himself saw how much happier he was today.

“Yeah, he called me right after his plane landed. I haven’t seen him in a while,” He said, his blue eyes looking a little glazed over as he thought about Itachi waiting for him just a couple of hours drive from here.

“Well then, have fun and stay safe,” Naruto winked, grinning even more widely. Mischief could be read in his now green eyes.

“You too, hn,” Deidara answered and was more than pleased to see Naruto suddenly going into a coughing fit while throwing uncertain looks Sasuke’s way.

“Are you two done?” The Uchiha asked somewhat irritably. He hadn’t slept well at all last night and now, things that would have probably been just mildly annoying were irritating him to no end.

“Yeah. Just stay safe you two. For real,” And with that the blond stepped back and watched as the car finally pulled from its parking spot and sped down the street. He smiled when Naruto waved at him through the window and with a bright smile, he waved back. Then he turned around and went back in the apartment building.

It was a little past noon. Sasuke and Naruto had finally gotten their fakes and now all they needed to do was get rid of that car. It shouldn’t be so hard if Sasuke’s acquaintance was someone to be trusted, though Naruto couldn't know that for himself. He was still annoyed that the raven refused to tell him how he’d met that person or what he was like. At first, when Naruto had asked, it had been on a whim. He hadn’t really had that strong of a desire to know. But when Sasuke had so blatantly refused to tell him, he had gotten very curious because he was sure there was something suspicious there. Something Sasuke was very intent on hiding and the blond was on a mission to find out what it was. The knowledge that the raven seemed more irritable than usual was a total bonus, and seeing how he had nowhere to run because they were basically locked in the car together for the next two or three hours, Naruto decided now was the time to act. There was always a bigger chance for Sasuke to slip up when he was like that and he intended to use that to his advantage.

Not five minutes after they had left town the blond glanced at Sasuke. He noted the set jaw, the deep frown and the hard, now dark blue eyes that were looking ahead of the car. He contemplated if it really was okay to bug him right now about Sai. He was more concerned about the dark circles under his friend’s eyes which talked about the restless night he had had. On numeral occasions Naruto had woken up from the sound of footsteps as Sasuke had exited the room and then come back ten minutes later with the smell of cigarettes clinging to his clothes.

But waking up a lot wasn’t like not sleeping at all and he debated if he should ask Sasuke to stop the car so they could change behind the wheel, allowing the raven to get some sleep. But then again, the teen was so stubborn he would probably not even let him finish his sentence before declining the offer.

Naruto sighed and glanced out of the now closed window.

“Why didn’t you sleep last night?” He asked and watched Sasuke’s reflection in the glass. He noticed the tensing of his shoulders and the frown deepening almost to a grimace.

“None of your business,” He answered icily. And he was probably right but only to some extends.

That answer only made Naruto try and do his best not to call him some various, nasty names and then tell him to go fuck himself. He didn’t understand why Sasuke had to be like that when someone showed any sort of concern about him.

“Maybe. Depends on how you look at it. But considering that I’m your closest friend and as such, I’m worried about you, I at least deserve to know why you look like shit and act like even bigger of an asshole… again,” Naruto said evenly in the end and turned his head to stare directly at Sasuke with an expressionless face. He not so subtly reminded him of his behavior yesterday, making the raven sigh and close his eyes because of the obvious guilt trip. He had to open them not even a second later because he was still driving, although he guessed that the annoyance he had tried to portray was sent across.

But when Naruto only continued to stare at him expectantly with those frustratingly green eyes, Sasuke realized he had to say something. He really hated Naruto’s persistence sometimes. No scratch that, he hated it all the time.

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” He asked exasperatedly even though he already knew the answer to that. So when his friend only shook his head, the raven wasn’t all that surprised. “If I tell you the reason why I didn’t sleep, will you drop it?” He asked and once again Naruto shook his head no. He answered Sasuke’s question before it had even left the boy’s mouth.

“If I promise that, you’re just going to tell me something really vogue that doesn’t really explain anything to me so no, I won’t promise that,” Well it wasn’t like Sasuke was going to argue with this logic because it was completely true. It did make it a little more difficult on him to evade the blond’s question though, so in the end, he decided not to try at all. It was bad enough that he was sleep deprived, he didn’t need the additional headache.

“I had nightmares,” He admitted reluctantly with a deep sigh and chanced a small glance at Naruto from the corner of his eyes. The other teen’s eyes had softened considerably after hearing that. He had gone much through the same thing at one point because of the constant insults and bullying he had been put through, although he thought it was a little late for the raven’s nightmares to start now. Although, there was also the possibility that Sasuke’s nightmares had nothing to do with their days in the orphanage.

“About what?” He asked carefully, as if almost afraid his words were going to bring the nightmares back. Well, the question did conjure some disturbing images Sasuke had seen in his sleep last night but he wasn’t willing to go there right now. He just didn’t want Naruto to learn about it yet, especially right before going to meet up with Sai.

“I can’t really remember them clearly, so I don’t know,” He lied, remembering very well what it had been all about. He didn’t know what gave him away though, because by the way Naruto’s eye narrowed, it was obvious the other had caught on to the lie. Fortunately for the raven though, his best friend decided not to pry this time.

“Alright then. I won’t push you,” He said and noticed how Sasuke visibly relaxed after hearing that statement. And the blond understood. He understood how awful it was to see horrible things every time you closed your eyes. And he also understood how horrible it was when someone was asking to conjure these images back just to satisfy their curiosity. “In the meantime, why don’t you tell me how you met Sai?” The blond said, turning to look out of the window again as if not really interested. It was a really dumb attempt when they both knew how bad he obviously wanted to know.

“Nice try, moron,” Sasuke said with a smirk and watched as his friend huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Come on, why don’t you tell me already?” He said, sounding exasperated. And he was. He just really, really wanted to know.

Sasuke was glad that Naruto had once again started to act like his usual, loud, obnoxious self. He wasn’t really used to the wise side of Naruto even if he spend almost all if his time with the blond. That side emerged rarely. Only when the blond was really worried, in a tough situation or very angry. And frankly, because of not being used to seeing that part of his friend often, Sasuke had no idea how to deal with it. That part of Naruto was really perceptive and noticed everything and anything, and to top it all off, interpreted it correctly almost every time. The raven just didn’t know what to make of that side. Was Naruto like that always, but just hid it very well? Or did he just have his moments? Though it sounded dumb, and even kinda useless, to have these abilities only at chosen times. But then again, it was almost scary to think that Naruto just acted dumb in front of everyone but in reality, knew what you were thinking and doing at all times, even if the raven knew that there was some truth to that last part. Sasuke knew that Naruto was in no way stupid, no matter how many times he called him that. It was just that he had moments in which he got almost disturbingly observant and smart and Sasuke really hoped he wouldn’t be stepping into such an episode right now. Not when they were talking about Sai.

“Because that, no matter what you think, is really none of your damn business,” The Uchiha said with that same smirk still on his face despite the thoughts about the blond’s perceptiveness still running through his mind.

“Fine!” Naruto then said, throwing his hands up and then letting them fall down to his lap limply. “I give up,” He said with a kicked-puppy expression on his face and Sasuke would have probably believed him if he hadn’t known him for over thirteen years. Naruto Uzumaki just didn’t quit. He might not succeed, but he never quit. And that knowledge alone prepared him for the moment when Naruto almost threw himself on his right arm and looked at him with big pleading eyes, as if begging Sasuke to tell him.

Now, a begging Naruto was a really desperate one and in any other circumstances Sasuke might have told him. But there were two major things in the way which stopped him from revealing the secret. First was that Naruto’s eyes were not blue anymore but green and so they didn’t hold the same familiarity to Sasuke so to make him give in. Second, and most importantly, he wasn’t yet willing to let _anyone_ find out about that story, no matter if it was his best friend or not. Jesus himself might come down from the skies right now and ask him about it, and he’d still cut him off. Besides, God wasn’t something he believed in for a long while now. His life had thought him that there just wasn’t anyone out there willing to help him and Naruto. They had to help themselves in the world they lived in.

“Sasukeeee…” Naruto whined, bringing Sasuke out form his thoughts. The raven’s brow twitched at the sound of a dying cat that emitted from his friend’s throat. Sleep deprivation and torture didn’t mix well with him and he seriously contemplated stopping the car just to knock Naruto out. But then again, he was having so much more fun when he was aggravating the blond.

* * *

 

 **A/N:** Well that was it! Very officially I have the whole story planned out and for now it seems like it would be 32 chapters which includes the epilogue. I'm very excited to finish this story and if I push myself a little, I think I may be able to finish it by the end of August. Anyway, you'll find out when it's all all written because once done, I'll be posting chapter a week instead of making you guys wait for two.

I really hope you liked this chapter and don't forget to leave me a review with your opinion, it means a lot! Till next time!

 **A/N 2** : Lmfao, August... yeah that was a good one. Ah, there was just so much naivety and innocence in that note, it's seriously endearing. Younger me, if you're reading this, it's January the 2018 and you're still halfway through the 22nd chapter so yeah, good luck with that deadline. 


	9. Surprises

**A/N:** Well, well, well would you look at that. Another chapter. I like this one very much, 'cause it's kinda like a breakthrough chapter. A lot happens here, a lot of things we learn about our boys and I just really hope you like it. Don't be shy and give me your opinions in the reviews.

Enjoy! ^.^

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It was a little more than two hours later when they were finally nearing Sullivan and by then, Sasuke was regretting his decision to not stop the car and knock Naruto out when he had had the chance to. The blond hadn’t stopped bugging him throughout the whole car ride and the raven was royally pissed at him already. He probably would have been even if he had slept properly, but now that he hadn’t, he was just a hair away from kicking Naruto’s tan ass out of the car while he was still driving on the highway.

“For the last time, moron, shut up already!” Sasuke growled through clenched teeth, a headache had started to form behind his temples. “How many times do I have to explain that there’s no way I’m telling you anything for you to get it through your tick skull?!” He asked and rolled his eyes for god knew which time that day when Naruto huffed beside him like a kid denied his ice cream.

“And for the last time, bastard, what’s the big deal? How can you expect me to just let it go when you’re acting all suspicious about it? That basically means something big had happened and if you just tell me what it is, this will be all over pretty soon, so just spill it already!” He exclaimed, his eyes narrowed into a glare as he almost growled out the last part.

Sasuke took a deep breath, trying his best to not lash out. He was driving, but most importantly, if he lost his temper, he was probably going to disclose what he was trying to hide for the past couple of hours.

“You know what, just keep asking me about it and I’ll just ignore you until you’re done with the query,” He said emotionlessly without even so much as a glance towards Naruto, though he could pretty easily feel the irritation rolling off the blond in thick, almost palpable waves. He didn’t know if it was because he completely ignored the blond’s previous words or because he was acting even more stubborn than usual but at this point it didn’t really matter to him, he just wanted some quiet for god’s sake.

“So it really is something big, huh?” Naruto said matter-of-factly, nodding his head slightly to himself and letting the raven know that it was actually a mistake not denying the blond’s statement when he had the chance to. Well, not like he cared about what Naruto thought of it. There was no way he was telling him what had happened. He didn’t want pity nor did he want to be looked at strangely. And what he wanted in the least was Naruto to attack Sai and screw up their plan about getting the car they needed.

Much to Sasuke’s delights, they drove in silence after that, albeit a tense one, but still silence.

A couple of minutes after they had finally entered the town the Uchiha parked in some shady neighborhood and hastily exited the car, slamming the door just a bit too forcefully. Very soon after that, another angry, almost mocking slam followed and Naruto fell into step with to him.

“This conversation isn’t over at all,” He announced darkly, but true to his word, Sasuke ignored him.

The Uchiha began making his way towards the garage he was sure Sai would still be at. It was little past five in the afternoon but it was a Saturday. That could complicate things a little but for now he had to hope that the garage would be working at that time of the day and week.

Naruto was curiously looking around himself and the people that they passed by. He had no memory of ever being here before and the story about how Sasuke had met that guy suddenly got even more suspicious. Why would he know where the guy lived or worked if they hadn’t even been in that town?

Lost in his own thought about what it could possibly be that Sasuke was trying to hide, Naruto hadn’t realized the raven in question had stopped so he walked right into his back. With a groan he put a hand to his forehead and looked up at Sasuke with a glare as if the fault wasn’t at all Naruto’s for not looking where he was going.

“Hn. Idiot,” Sasuke scoffed and then turned to look past the metal fence surrounding the obviously abandoned place. It was painfully clear that it hadn’t been open in a long while. There were no cars or even a sign that said ‘closed’. There was only one sign actually, but what it said was ‘for sale’.

He frowned, completely sure that it was the right place, or as it looked like, _used_ to be the right one.

“So…,” Naruto said as he circled the dark-haired teen. “What are we looking at? A small, deserted garage? Really thoughtful of you to bring us here, Sasuke,” He said in a sweetened voice, dipped in fake awe which only earned him a smack upside the head that completely wiped the mocking smile off of his face, replacing it was a glare.

“Shut up,” Was all he got from the raven before Sasuke turned and began looking around with a thoughtful look on his face as if searching for something. Then, without saying anything, the raven took off in long strides towards the small pub across the street, making Naruto sigh again in exasperation. What was the guy’s fascination with walking away so hurriedly without ever saying so much as a single word?

The blond followed of course, albeit a little reluctantly, and entered the place almost at the same time as his friend did. He finally caught up to Sasuke when the raven sat on a tall stool in front of the bar.

“Seriously, if you were so hungry you could have said so,” The blond said dryly as he sat down next to the Uchiha.

“I’m not hungry,” He answered with a roll of his eyes. “Just don’t interfere and let me handle this,” He glanced at the barman that was serving some clients a little further down the bar.

“And what, if you don’t mind me asking, are you going to handle exactly? I seriously doubt that this mysterious Sai guy would have become a waiter,” He said, propping his chin on his palm as if bored, his elbow resting on the counter.

“I think it’s more than obvious he doesn’t work here, moron. He’s probably not even in town. That place was practically abandoned,” Sasuke answered and waved at the barman when he turned his head to look at them.

“Then what are we doing here then?” Naruto asked, sounding tired. He didn’t receive any sort of answer though, because the barman had finally approached them with a questioning look on his face.

“Me and my friend here were wondering if you so happened to know one of the guys that used to work across the street in the garage,” Sasuke said, his stance very casual and bored as he did so, careful not to give anything away.

“Um, who exactly are you looking for?” The guy asked with a frown. He was young, tall, with brown hair that reached the base of his neck and big hazel eyes that were searching Sasuke’s face cautiously.

“Sai,” Naruto chimed in from his place, not once lifting his head form the palm of his hand. Really, would it have hurt Sasuke so much to just tell him he planned on asking some of the locals about this Sai? God, how he hated that everything had to be so fucking complicated with the bastard.

“Is he in some sort of trouble or…?” The boy asked, sounding somewhat worried, succeeding in making Naruto snort. He didn’t think they looked that threatening. Well, maybe Sasuke did time at a time but… One glance at his friend told him that, yes, it was one of those times for Sasuke. The dark circles under his eyes combined with his narrowed, calculating stare and the jaw that was set tight weren’t sending exactly friendly vibes so Naruto decided to take it from there if they wanted to get any sort of information. The role of the good cop suited him well anyway so he lifted his head from his hand and send the guy a friendly, almost apologetic smile.

“I doubt we look like cops, but if you need to know, no, he is not in trouble,” He explained, his smile evolving into a playful smirk while his green eyes sparkled with amusement. Though trouble rarely ever meant cops in these small towns so he guessed that it was a reasonable question after all, farther more if you took into consideration the intensity of Sasuke’s gaze. What was he doing staring at the guy like that? Did he want to melt the barman’s face off with that look? If he didn’t know any better, Naruto would have thought that Sasuke was trying to read his mind or something. Or he was just PMS-ing again, which in Naruto’s opinion was more like the case.

“We’re friends,” The raven said, hoping to whatever deity was listening that Naruto wouldn’t notice the strain behind the word ‘friends’. Well, judging by the gaze he felt on the side if his head, no god was on his side this time around either.

“Well, he moved to Chicago a little while ago. I heard that his boss was moving business there or whatever,” The boy said with a small shrug then glanced around the restaurant, probably more to escape from Sasuke’s calculative gaze than anything else. The guy finally noticed the four new customers waiting for him and inwardly thanked whoever was up there that had provided him with an escape from the raven’s glares.

“Look, if you’re going to order, go ahead, but otherwise, I have work to do,” And with that the barman stalked away to tend to the new customers, leaving silence to hang between the two teens.

“Well, at least we have a direction,” Naruto supplied optimistically, propping his chin once again on his palm.

“That is if the guy wasn’t lying,” Sasuke said contemplatively, finally taking his eyes off the barman and looking at Naruto’s bored expression. He was suddenly very thankful for the lenses and the wig because with the teen’s eyes hooded as they were at the moment, it was enough to make the raven’s head fill once again with unwanted memories. And those were certainly something he didn’t need at all right now, judging by that one part of him that twitched all of a sudden. He didn’t even want to know what would have happened to him if Naruto’s eyes weren’t green right now and he decided that it was probably time to drop what he was thinking about. It was strange enough to have thoughts and _reactions_ like these towards his friend. He didn’t need to confuse his mind any further.

“I don’t think he was. He sounded way too irritated to be lying and was looking you straight in the eye as he talked. Also, he never ceased tapping his foot on the floor while he talked so that means he didn’t stop to make it all up,” Naruto said, his voice laced with boredom as he explained his reasoning.

He once again made Sasuke wonder if that moronic attitude was all a front. He knew for sure the cheerfulness and optimism he was used to seeing most of the time were a mechanism for coping, though he was just recently starting to doubt if maybe there was something more to the front that the blond usually put up.

“Okay then,” He said and got up from his seat. His face and voice not giving away at all what he was thinking about up until that point.

Sasuke knew he had to be a lot more careful with his words and how he masked his emotions from now on. The blond was good at reading people and even though Sasuke knew that from way before, he was still amazed, and also a little taken aback, by how good at it his friend actually was. Of course, he too was good at reading people, it was a basic survival skill if you lived the same way as them, and still, Naruto’s skills went a little beyond Sasuke’s own level of capability.

 _‘Hn, I bet I would be just as good at it if I too talked to everyone with half an ear to listen’_ Sasuke thought bitterly and decided that, yes, Naruto’s perceptiveness was nothing special, and that he too would have been just as good, if not even better, if he were more social. Too bad it was too late to test that theory.

They exited the pub and began making their way back towards the car. Once again they walked fast and in silence. And while the blond looked around, he wasn’t really seeing anything in particular, more busy with his thoughts at the moment than with exploring a small, regular town. He was thankful for the slight breeze which seemed to help him clear his head a little. He always hated it when he got into arguments with Sasuke, but he hated even more the way things were between them after that. Those biting remarks and sarcastic rolls of eyes were seriously grating on his nerves.

This time Naruto sat behind the wheel and started the engine, patiently waiting for Sasuke to buckle up. Once he deemed the raven ready, Naruto sped down the streets of the city and towards the northern exit.

Chicago wasn’t that far away. It was a little risky to be going in such a big city with a stolen car and that’s why they had tried to avoid something like that up until then. Now though, they just had to bet on the news of them being on the loose not having reached that far yet. And besides, very soon their car wouldn’t be ‘stolen’, and since a couple of hours ago, their identities weren’t what the police would be looking for.

“So Sai’s a friend now, huh?” Naruto began conversationally a couple of minutes later, though he put enough strain in the word ‘friend’ for emphasis, making Sasuke groan inwardly and turn his head to look out of the window. “And my friend’s friends are also my friends so I’d like to know a little about that friend of yours,” Naruto continued in that casual and kinda cheerful voice. A forced smile was tugging at the corners of his lips, though it certainly looked strained. He had promised this conversation wasn’t finished and he wasn’t going to give up on it anytime soon from the looks of it.

“Fine,” Sasuke said and smirked inwardly at the way the green eyes lit up. “He’s average in height, black hair and dark eyes, pale complexion, and likes to dress like a stripper,” He finished and heard Naruto snort at the description.

“Sounds like you have a twin,” Naruto muttered, watching Sasuke frown. “So, when did you meet that _friend_ of yours?” Naruto asked, his eyes still on the road and an innocent smile dancing on his lips.

“A little while before we were caught by the police,” Sasuke said, knowing fully well where this was going. The information he was disclosing so far was harmless but he knew that soon the important questions would be asked.

“Oh, and where was that?” Naruto said, trying to sound like he didn’t care and was just making small talk. Pfft, yeah right, who was he trying to fool? Sasuke had to be a complete idiot to believe that front even for a second.

“In Charleston. He was there with his boss on a business trip,” Sasuke explained, keeping to the facts. He saw earlier how good Naruto was with telling lies apart from the truth, so he tried to keep it simple, not saying too much but enough to evade the questions.

“Hmmm. And you wanted to purchase a car or…?” Naruto asked with faked-curiosity, making Sasuke roll his eyes. Though he really had to admit that time at a time it was interesting to indulge in the blond’s tactics for trying to make him talk about something. If he had to be honest, the blond wasn’t very successful so far but at least he was getting more creative, which in turn provided some sort if entertainment. Until, of course, he got overly annoying with his persistence.

“Moron,” He said with a slight shake of his head and turned to look out of the window at the night that had fallen over the highway. The darkness made it harder to see anything much beyond the railing on the side of the highway so he just watched the moon. It was waning, but still very full.

“And where is the car that you purchased?” Naruto asked, refusing to let go of the conversation even when Sasuke had so blatantly dismissed it.

“I didn’t buy a car,” He said, irritation lacing his voice, though it was more than obvious he wasn’t going to continue. Naruto got annoying a lot sooner than Sasuke had anticipated.

“Oh, then how did you meet him?” Naruto asked. His voice and expression were still the epitome of innocence, making Sasuke even more irritated.

“And that is what you’re never going to find out,” The raven answered and crossed his hands over his chest as if that enforced his words.

Naruto sighed in frustration. It wasn’t like he was that interested in the place or time they had met. He was interested in what had happened. If this dude wasn’t anything different than the raven’s other acquaintances, then Sasuke wouldn’t have bothered to hide it. Maybe he would just do it to spite him, but that had dragged on for too long for this theory to be true.

“Okay what it is it that you don’t want me to know? Is it something concerning drugs?” The blond asked, dropping the cheerful tone and pulling his brow up while glancing at Sasuke through the corner of his eye. Drugs were something they had vowed to each other to never get involved with. Or at least not the dangerous ones, they smoked weed time at a time when they had the opportunity but that was about it. It was rare and hardly concerning.

Naruto didn’t want to question his friend and observe him for hints that he was lying about something but he was curious and Sasuke just wasn’t leaving him any other option. Of course, he could just give up and leave Sasuke be, but that thought almost made him laugh. When had he ever done something like that? And also, he wanted to _finally_ teach Sasuke that it was okay to share with him at least sometimes.

“No,” Sasuke bit out. He knew where this was going and he knew that he had to tread very carefully if he didn’t want Naruto to find out anything. He had to school his face perfectly and command his body to relax, and most importantly, he had to be careful with his voice.

“Is it some crime? Though, if you aren’t telling me, it means it’s something much more than robbery. So then, rape? Murder?” He asked and the raven was surprised from the casual manner with which Naruto did it.

“Of course not, idiot! Do you think I’ll be in the same car with you right now if I was caught for murder?” Sasuke asked. His eyes had winded at the speculation. Was Naruto insane?

“Actually, yeah. You’re still underage, so you would have just been given more time of juvie I think,” He said with a shrug. “And from your reaction I gather it wasn’t that, so that leaves just one thing you might be secretive about. Did you sleep with him?” He asked, again sounding very casual, his eyes on the road before them, but Sasuke could tell that all of the blond’s attention was focused on him.

“What the hell, Naruto, how could you even think that?” Sasuke said, his eyes widening further. Not from the surprise that his friend had thought about something like that. No, because Naruto was actually very close to the truth here and the raven was praying he wouldn’t realize it. His words weren’t exactly denying the statement though, so he should be okay.

“So you slept with him,” Naruto concluded with a single nod of his head and a twist of his lips. He saw Sasuke frown and open his mouth, probably to object, but the blond just shook his head and cut him off before he had even started. “You don’t usually call me Naruto when everything is fine or when I’m merely annoying you. Most of the times you call me by my real name are when there’s something big going on or when I hit a nerve,” He explain, eyes still on the road. “And besides,” He gave Sasuke a pointed look. “You didn’t even take the time to process what I said before you went in full defensive mode,”

Sasuke was taking deep breath after deep breath in hopes of calming down his paranoia. He refused to look at the blond right now and just wanted to see what Naruto’s reaction would be to this discovery. Yeah, maybe Naruto had been fine with drunken handjobs but that didn’t mean he was fine with full male on male sex, even if that wasn’t exactly the case here because the blond just didn’t know that. Even if he hadn’t shown any signs of disgust so far, in Sasuke’s opinion it was never too late.

But when the silence dragged on, it finally clicked in the raven’s head that Naruto was the one expecting a reaction. He cursed inwardly his sleep deprived brain for being slower than usual.

“Look, it’s not like I wanted it really. I got dragged to a block party and I guess that there was something in my drink because I suddenly felt very trippy and…” Sasuke had decided to at least justify himself a little. If Naruto was to decide that he felt strange around Sasuke, then at least he should know the full story, though the raven didn’t get the chance to finish said story before he was interrupted.

“Wait,” Naruto growled and turned to look at Sasuke with a deadly glare. “There was _what?_ ” The blond asked through clenched teeth, still looking at Sasuke, obviously not caring much if he was driving at the moment or not.

“Look at the damn road, idiot, I don’t plan on dying,” Sasuke said in irritation though it was more to get Naruto to look away. Goosebumps had risen on his skin because of that look in those green eyes. It was something feral and animalistic that contrasted so much with Naruto’s usual behavior and character.

“How can you expect me to care about the damn road when I just found out some bastard had drugged and raped my best friend?” Naruto asked. His voice was still low and threatening, making Sasuke frown. That was another side of the blond he didn’t get to see much. It only appeared when he was mad angry and Sasuke could admit, if not to anyone else, then at least to himself, that he was a little afraid of Naruto when he was angry like that. So much, that he actually appeared calm. He never knew what was going through his head in moments like those so he knew nothing about how to make him calm down.

The blond took a deep breath and counted inwardly to ten. He had to remind himself that his friend wasn’t the one to be blamed and that he had to keep his temper down and not take out his anger on him. If anything, he had to be a lot more careful with Sasuke when he approached that topic. He realized now why Sasuke hadn’t wanted to tell him. That was something very personal and mentally scarring. Also, the raven had a huge problem with appearing weak or vulnerable so Naruto understood his reasoning to a certain extend. He almost felt bad about forcing it out of him but he didn’t regret finding it out in the least.

“Why didn’t you go to the police?” He asked, sounding calmer than before but still angry and in disbelief. Sasuke thought he could also hear a slight edge of concern there but it was buried deep under the strain in his voice.

“We were on the run. If I went to the police, it would have been like turning ourselves in,” Sasuke explained in an even, emotionless tone. This was a topic he dreaded with a passion. He had no need to discuss it at all, nor did he want to so he was doing his best to sound as detached as possible in hopes that Naruto would catch the hint.

Naruto of course did, but that didn't mean he was quite ready to drop it yet.

“I would have preferred that ten times better than that bastard walking around without any consequences to what he did,” Naruto said darkly, his grip on the wheel a lot harder than it should be.

“And then what? Share the same juvie facility with him? I don’t think so,” The raven said bitterly, directing a cold glare out of the window, his tamper getting the best of him. “Besides, there was no evidence it was him who drugged me and also, he didn’t really get to the actual rape. He just molested me,” After that statement the blond’s knuckles turned white on the steering wheel which Sasuke immediately noticed. “Look Naruto, because of what happened I have leverage over him. That’s why we can go now and get a car from him with no questions asked so just let it go already. You wanted to know about it, fine, you found out. Now drop it,” He said with a sigh.

 _‘Well, at least Naruto isn’t disgusted with you’_ A small optimistic voice in his head chimed in.

“You’re awfully okay with the whole situation,” Naruto said, his voice getting louder with every word and Sasuke felt himself immediately going on the defensive again.

“It happened a very long while ago. I had no choice but to get over it eventually. You should too,” Sasuke said bitterly, his glare intensifying as he looked at Naruto. Why did his blond idiot of a friend always felt the need to probe at every fucking thing?

“And if it happened such a long while ago, why am I learning about it just now?” Naruto asked slowly, obviously very angry still, while glancing at Sasuke through the corner of his eye. His voice was way too calm in the raven’s opinion and that was never a good sign in a situation like this.

“Because I knew you would react like this,” Sasuke said. “And I couldn’t risk you outing us to the police because of some asshole,” He finished and crossed his arms. “Just drop it already,” He finally added and once again turned his head to stare out of the car and at the passing scenery.

“That’s why you suddenly got those problems with physical contact, didn’t you?” The blond asked, his voice now more soft then it had been a second ago, way more concerned than Sasuke would have liked it to be. The raven didn’t answer, but the sigh which escaped his lips was all the confirmation Naruto needed for his theory.

“Just don’t screw things up with Sai when we get there,” Sasuke said emotionlessly without moving his gaze from the window in which he saw the blond grit his teeth at the request.

“Fine,” Naruto bit out. “But if he so much as touches you, I don’t care if I’ll go back to juvie or not for that, I’ll leave him unable to use his dick ever again,” He growled, green eyes narrowed into a glare at the road ahead of them.

“Moron, I don’t want your protection. I’m perfectly capable of handling myself just fine, thank you very much,” Sasuke all but growled.

“Did you learn how to before or after you got sexually assaulted?” Naruto asked, his anger spiking again. He didn't want to shout, he really didn't but he appeared to be incapable of keeping his temper in check. Not in this situation. All he was trying to do here was to protect his best friend and yet said friend was acting like it was a crime. Damn his huge ass ego to hell and back.

A low growl emitted from Sasuke’s throat as he turned his head to face the blond. “Careful there, Naruto. Don’t try to act like the hero here,” He said threateningly. “You have no say in how I deal with the situations surrounding _my_ personal life. It didn’t happen to you and you don’t know jack shit about it so just. Shut. Up.”

“I don’t get why you always refuse my help. You always insist on keeping me in the dark about every damn thing and look where that gets you every time!” Naruto shouted. “I also know there’s something more you’re not telling me and at this point I don’t know if I even want to find out. With you it’s just a surprise after the surprise.” He continued and he saw Sasuke tense a little, confirming for him that yes, there was something more to the story he was not willing to share even if the blond hadn't been so sure about it before. He hadn't been able to decide if Sasuke had gotten so defensive all of a sudden because of the trauma or because there was something else which might take light while they were on that topic but now he had his answer. “What is it?” Naruto asked snappishly, narrowing his eyes further.

“It doesn’t matter and it is absolutely none of your business,” Sasuke said cryptically, the tension never dissolving from his shoulders. It actually reached his voice and made the raven curse himself inwardly for letting it lace his words so easily. 

“Like hell it doesn’t matter,” The other teen countered. “I can practically see it written all over your face that there is something more bothering you,” He said, making his friend sigh too and then roll his eyes.

“Yes, _you_ are bothering me,” Sasuke snapped and jerkily fished out the cigarette pack and the lighter from his jean’s pockets. He lit one efficiently and threw the pack and the lighter on the car’s dashboard, turning his head towards the window again to avoid Naruto’s eyes.

“Bullshit! It’s not that _I_ am bothering you, it’s the fact that I know there’s _something_ bothering you,” Naruto answered and watched as Sasuke rolled down the window so not to fog up the car as he smoked.

Sasuke really didn’t want to tell Naruto what that ‘something’ was. Like, really didn’t. But then again, he had tried to hide the thing with Sai and look where it had landed him. He liked their casual banter, yes, but this was way more than casual, way beyond teasing. He was sure that the blond was going to find out sooner or later about it anyway, so since he had started with the confessions tonight he figured that one more shocker wouldn’t make that much of a difference. With another long drag from his cancer stick he turned in his seat, this time instead of staring out of the side window, he stared out of the front one with a deep frown on his face as he exhaled the smoke, already feeling the nicotine in his system, calming his nerves if only just barely.

He contemplated one last time if he really should say something. It was embarrassing and it would be troublesome if the blond got uncomfortable around him because of it. But what was more troublesome was that he would probe until he found out anyway so he might at least get it over with.

With a sigh Sasuke concluded that he preferred for Naruto to hear about it sooner than later. That way the raven could at least spare himself the headache of dealing with his constant prying. There was just one thing so far stopping him from voicing what he wanted to and it was their alone time at the party. He really hoped Naruto wouldn’t take it very badly. And really hoped Deidara was right when he said that even drunk and high you know what you wanted.

“I’m not sure if I’m straight,” He admitted evenly, not daring to peal his eyes away from the road ahead of them, counting in his head the seconds it took Naruto to react and suddenly appearing very fascinated with the smoke that escaped from the cigarette between his fingers.

It took Naruto some time but Sasuke could perfectly well feel the anger subsiding and turning into confusion then almost… relief? Whatever it was, he decided to take it as a good sign.

“So you think you might me gay?” Naruto asked, sounding way too calm about it than the raven had expected him to be so the only thought that managed to go through his head at that point was _fuck it_. Naruto was his best friend and he trusted him. More than he had ever trusted anyone else so he might as well go there too. If he didn’t look that panicked or shocked he might as well tell him the whole story. He took one long drag of the cigarette and began talking.

“I don’t really know to be honest. Before what happened I never really had the time to think about my sexuality. I’ve fooled around with a guy or two but it was never really anything I paid much mind to. And considering who we are and how our lives were, and still are, I never even considered being in a relationship so I think I overlooked the fact that I hadn’t been all that interested in girls until then. After what happened with Sai I thought he might have fucked me up mentally because neither girls nor boys seemed to do it for me anymore and I never even felt aroused by anyone. But then two nights ago at the party…” He slowed at the end and left the sentence hanging, unable to finish it and then took another drag to avoid stating the obvious. He was surprised he even managed to admit that he had had that phase when he would hook up with someone random just for the sake of making out with them for a while and then going their separate ways. But the fact that he had had a thing with Naruto… he said it once and it was hell, he wasn’t going to voice it another time anytime soon.

He saw Naruto nod his head slightly beside him, seemingly deep in thought. The blond was actually surprised at the amount of words Sasuke had said. That was something very rare for his best friend, further more when he was so irritated.

“You’re not gonna get all strange on me, right?” Sasuke asked a little too cautiously for his own liking, smoke escaping his mouth with every word until he blew it all out in the end. He was a little surprised at the reaction he got then because Naruto actually laughed.

“Are you kidding me? It’s not that big of a surprise. I mean, I can go as far as telling you that to certain extends, I actually expected it,” Naruto said with a playful smirk, making the raven frown.

“What is that supposed to mean?” He asked, a little offended by the comment, flicking the ash from the cigarette outside the window.

“Well, how do I explain it…? You see, there are these people who kind of set off your gaydar, no matter if you are gay or not. And when most of the people you’ve met so far assume you are gay and then considering all the time and effort you put into your hair and just… I don’t know. Though I would have said you were bi?” Naruto finished thoughtfully. “Give me one drag,” Naruto then said off-handedly at the end, reaching his hand for the cigarette, which the raven handed him with a frown, still a little disturbed that Naruto might have known he had a thing for guys even before he himself was sure.

Naruto took one long drag, filling his lungs with smoke and holding it there for a second. Then he gave Sasuke’s smoke back as he slowly exhaled, welcoming the calming effect nicotine seemed to have on him.

Sasuke scowled from beside him as he took the stick back. He didn’t think he could have been that obvious when he wasn’t even sure himself if he was necessarily gay, though he had yet to experience even the slightest bit of attraction towards a girl. And he was almost eighteen. Also, there’s the fact that just two days ago was the first time he had ever felt turned on by someone in a very long while. He felt like it was too soon for him to decide what his sexuality was exactly even if he had some suspicions as to what it might be.

“So it doesn’t bother you?” He finally asked, taking one last drag of the cigarette and doing his best to ignore the tingling sensation on his lips that was brought by the knowledge that the cigarette had been between Naruto’s not five seconds ago. He decided that this was something he had to ignore at all costs as he threw the cigarette butt out of the window and onto the road.

“Not in the least. Like I’ve said before, you are my best friend, your sexuality isn’t what matters the most to me. Whether you like it up the ass or up another guy’s ass or whatever, is entirely up to you and pretty irrelevant in terms of our friendship,” Naruto said, giving his friend an amused smile. Sasuke just rolled his eyes and tried to resist the urge to hit the blond over the head for the crudeness of that statement.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, I’m still not entirely sure if I’m gay or not,” He said and turned once again to look out of the window. His eyebrow twitched when Naruto snorted.

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that Sasuke, very soon I’ll prove to you that there’s not even one straight cell in your body,” He said with a slight chuckle and a shake of his head, making Sasuke scoff. Though, annoyed or not, he couldn’t help but be grateful that Naruto’s was so open-minded and that he didn’t seem to care. And he was also grateful that the blond had finally dropped the topic about Sai.

Though it was still bugging him greatly, the blond knew that he had to change the conversation away from Sai. He noticed it was a very hard one for Sasuke and the least he wanted was to upset him even more than he already was because of having to actually voice what had happened. He realized how painful it could be, not only the experience in itself, but the scar it left behind on one's mentality and he didn't want to force Sasuke into reopening the wound so fast.

“Tch, moron,” Sasuke said, a small smirk gracing his lips. Maybe, just maybe, sharing stuff with Naruto wasn’t that bad of an idea after all.

* * *

A very delighted squeal sounded throughout the brightly lit living room. Two women, maybe in their mid-forties, were sitting cozily on the light brown sofa on one side of the room, sipping from their little coffee cups with gentle smiles plastered to their faces.

One had long, red hair that stopped just below her waist and big, expressive, lilac eyes, which danced with happiness and mischief, while the other woman, pale, with dark eyes and black hair, smiled fondly at her friend’s excitement. Not that she wasn’t excited herself, she had also been waiting for this moment for as long as the redhead, no, she was just better at containing her excitement. She was an Uchiha after all.

“Oh my, I just can’t wait to see them for myself, they’ve grown to be such handsome young men I just can’t even,” The redhead, Kushina, said. A big smile plastered on her face.

“I know, right. It’s been so long. I can’t wait to see what they are like. How they act and talk and laugh and…, “ Even though her smile was still there, tears welled into the obsidian eyes and Kushina’s smile saddened.

“Yeah. The photos Tsunade send us don’t tell us very much about their personalities, though Sasuke sure looks a lot like you,” The redhead mused.

“And Naruto… He’s so much like his father, it’s ridiculous.”

“He may be blond and blue-eyed like me, but except all that, he’s all Kushina as far as I can see,” A tall blond appeared in the doorway. He dropped the overstuffed duffel bag next to the other two already lying by the door and walked into the room. He sat next to his wife, putting a hand around her shoulders, red strands of hair spilling over his arm.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how glad I am they escaped already. I don’t think I could have waited any longer,” Kushina grinned.

“Yeah, I was surprised too at how they didn’t even set off a single alarm and had managed to escape through the window in the office of the headmistress,” The dark-haired woman said with a triumphant smirk. “And after such a short time of being there,”

“Hah, yeah. That’s the biggest fuck you I could imagine,” The redhead laughed. Her husband just rolled his eyes at her wording though a small smile was dancing on his lips.

“Bet it was all Sasuke’s plan,” Mikoto said and took a sip from her cup, her eyes dancing with smugness and mischief.

“Maybe, but if it weren’t for Naruto, he wouldn’t have gotten anywhere,” Kushina said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Let’s just say they both deserve some credit,” Minato began, defusing what was sure to turn into a competition of whose son was better.

“I wonder if they would like to get in our field of work after all this is over,” Kushina said, sipping from her cup. “I have a feeling that they would be amazing at it,”

“Hmm. With how they’ve lived so far, their training would be almost for the protocols,“ Minato said, rubbing circles absent-mindedly on his wife’s back as he thought about it.

“I wonder if Kakashi would be up to take them on. He’ll have his hands full, that’s for sure,” Mikoto smiled. She sipped the last of her coffee and put her cup on the small glass table in front of to the sofa.

They sat in silence for a little a while, all of them deep in thought about what the next month my throw in their way. More than two years ago they had no clue about where their children were. And how could they? The two boys were apparently living on the streets so they weren’t registered in any of the child services systems anymore. Only when they had been caught robbing that house did their parent’s find out where they were. And at the time they couldn’t do a single thing because the police was after them. If they had tried to find them then, and actually succeeded, it would just have been painful in the end when they were once again taken from them to be sent to juvie.

Then they had decided to wait for the police to do their job. It was painfully slow because for more than a year, the two punks had managed to avoid them, making fools of the cops who apparently couldn’t catch two underage, common thugs.

Of course, Minato, Kushina and Mikoto pulled some strings and had a say in which facility they would be staying so to not have to search for them after that. They knew that their sons would escape sooner or later, though they had thought it would have been a little later than that and it appears they have underestimated them. But that was a good thing, because now, they could finally get off their asses and find them.

They still had no idea what they would say or do once they found them. For one, except for the photos and vogue descriptions of their personalities thanks to Tsunade and Jiraya, they didn’t know anything else, therefor they weren’t sure how they would react to almost anything. But they would be damned if they didn’t try to reunite their families that were so cruelly broken apart almost seventeen years ago.

“Come on, ladies. We should go to bed, tomorrow we’ll need an early start,” Minato said after a while, breaking the other two’s train of thoughts. They women just absently nodded their heads, obviously still deep in thought about their lost and yet to be found boys.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke were sitting in a small café, eating breakfast before they had to go and find Sai. The thought of seeking that sick bastard had Naruto grinding his teeth but he knew that it was necessary. He didn’t know how he was going to refrain from decking him square in the jaw but he guessed he had to try if they wanted to leave with a car that wasn’t registered as stolen.

Last night, after getting in Chicago at around eight, Sasuke had declared that he needed a beer so they had gotten themselves a bottle each and had spent the rest of the night on the back of the pickup. They had been mostly silent, occasionally joking about this and that but mostly just enjoying the peaceful night as they sat there, gazing at the sky. By peaceful night they meant that there weren’t many disruptions in the rundown neighborhood they had parked in. They could hear the occasional dog barking and a child whining from somewhere. They could also hear the cars passing in the distance and laughter coming from close by streets, the occasional TV with volume turned up just high enough for them to hear it, but overall not understand the words they heard. All were sounds that provided them a sense of peace. It was strange but that was how they had felt.

It was nice to be once again in a big city and they got to enjoy it for real now that they were sitting on a table outside of the small café and people passed them by, talking to each other or on their phones. It was somewhat calming, knowing they could blend in perfectly with the scenery, knowing that not many cared about them and they could stay completely anonymous there while eating their breakfast or having their morning cup of coffee.

“So, remember last night when I told you I can probably prove to you that you’re gay?” Naruto asked, a slow grin spreading on his face as Sasuke choked on the sip of coffee he had just taken. Somehow the glare he tried to send the blond’s way after that wasn’t very effective. “Okay,” Naruto began and looked around, his eyes narrowed slightly in concentration. “There, look at that girl and tell me what you think,” He pointed at a girl, probably in high school judging by the uniform she was wearing.

Her clothes consisted of knee-high, black socks, a short grey skirt that stopped by her mid-thigh, and a white shirt perfectly contouring her small frame. The top two buttons were left unbuttoned, showing a very appealing collar-bone and a slender neck. The girl had long brown hair that fell in waves to her waist and when she turned around, probably feeling Sasuke’s gaze on her, the raven caught sight of her big hazel eyes. She blushed when she caught him looking at her and with a giggle turned around again, probably to hurriedly share with her friends that a hot guy had been checking her out.

All Sasuke could think about her was that she would probably be very annoying.

The raven rolled his eyes and glanced at Naruto who was staring at him expectantly, to which Sasuke just shrugged.

“Not my type I guess,” He said and lifted his cup of coffee to his lips again. He then looked around and completely missed the smirk that spread over the tan face.

“Okay, well then how about...” Naruto began looking around again. “Over there,” He motioned with his head towards a young businesswoman in a red skirt that stopped just above her knees, showing off her round ass and long slender legs. She wore a white shirt too, though she showed a lot more cleavage then the schoolgirl. Her red tie was loose around her neck, making her look a lot more suggestive than professional. “Maybe older women are more your thing,” Naruto added conversationally, though it was obvious he didn’t believe his own words much.

Sasuke moved his gaze higher to the blue eyes hidden behind the glasses and the blond hair that was tied up in a tight bun on the back of her head. Again he turned to look at Naruto very unimpressed and this time didn’t miss the knowing smirk so he decided to cut the blond off before he had even opened his mouth.

“That doesn’t mean anything, dumbass, stop looking at me like that,” Sasuke said and drank his last sip of coffee. Then he pushed his chair back and got up.

Naruto soon appeared next to him with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“What, so petite women with nice asses, big boobs and long pretty hair don’t do it for you?” He asked, sounding innocent though they both knew very well how much he wanted to laugh out. “Then how about him?” Naruto asked, nodding his head towards a tall, nicely build man, dressed in snug skinny jeans that outlined his ass perfectly and a black shirt that complimented perfectly his lean body and broad shoulders. The sleeves to the cotton shirt were rolled up to his elbow, showing off his muscular hands, and the top buttons were left open, giving the man an air of casualness and flirtation. He had tan skin and light brown hair, a strong jaw and grey eyes. The guy didn’t look like he was much older than them. Maybe in college, and he was definitely a nice catch. Naruto could admit that even he was a little attracted to him.

With satisfaction the blond noticed how the raven’s gaze, probably unintentionally, lingered on the man’s ass while they passed by. He playfully hit Sasuke’s shoulder, snickering despite his best attempts not to.

“Close that mouth before you catch a fly. And is that drool I see there?” Naruto joked and was more than happy to see the pink that dusted the pale face once Sasuke had snapped out of his daze. Somehow the glare Sasuke tried to send Naruto didn’t look that threatening when the teen was also blushing. “Case closed,” Naruto announced with a large grin as he bowed mockingly.

“Fine, whatever,” Sasuke said with a huff, barely stopping himself from pouting as he crossed his hands over his chest.

“Stop sulking, there’s nothing wrong with that,” The blond explained with a roll of his green eyes. “I find some men attractive too, it’s not that big of a deal,” He added and suddenly Sasuke shut his mouth. He was going to object about how he didn’t sulk when Naruto’s last words caught his attention.

“You like men too?” He asked incredulously. Somehow it had never occurred to him that Naruto might also have a thing for guys but he guessed that it explained why he wasn’t all that disturbed by Sasuke’s deceleration last night and also when he found out what had apparently transpired between them at the party.

“Well, I don’t know really but I guess I can acknowledge good looks whether they are on a guy or a girl. And I also guess that the thought of me being with a guy doesn’t actually disgust me or anything. I still like girls, though I think I also appreciate guys. I don’t know. Does that make me bisexual?” The blond asked with one eyebrow arched up in thought.

“Hn, I think more like bi-curious. It doesn’t look like you are so sure you can like guys, it’s just that you haven’t dismissed it yet,” Sasuke explained, pushing his hands deep into his pockets. He noticed Naruto nod from beside him, a thoughtful look on face as he obviously contemplated the idea until a big grin spread on his face again, this time a much more mischievous one.

“Well then I might find myself a guy to hook up with soon, you know, just to be sure,” He said with amusement which only grew when he saw the slight widening of Sasuke’s eyes at the idea.

“Tch, moron,” Sasuke rolled his eyes in irritation as he smacked a snickering Naruto lightly over the back of his head. Then he decided that it was time to stop messing around and finally start their search for Sai. That thought immediately erased all of the playfulness from his mood.

“How about we start searching,” He said stiffly and watched as Naruto tensed a little too at the thought of who exactly they would be searching for.

The raven looked around and noticed the line of taxi cars parked by the sidewalk. He decided if anyone would know about a garage it would be the drivers in the city so he headed for the street.

“Where are we starting?” Naruto asked with a frown when he saw Sasuke take off. Again.

“I figured that we might ask the people whose job it is to know the city perfectly. It’s a big one and I doubt we’ll come across many of the locals who’ll know about Sai, especially if he hasn't been here for long,” Sasuke said and went to the nearest cab in sight.

Naruto stayed a little to the side, letting Sasuke handle this while he tried to manage the surge of anger that had flooded him at the thought of that guy. How could he have done something like that? The blond gritted his teeth. He just didn’t understand how could some people do this stuff and get away with it. How they could sleep peacefully at night and all in all live with themselves? 

He glanced at Sasuke’s thin frame, covered by the dark skinny jeans and the black T-shirt as he was leaning down towards the open window of the yellow car, probably to be able to see that man’s face as he talked to him. He felt a wave of sadness wash over him as he thought about how Sasuke must have felt. How he still felt.

He knew that last night he had said that he had gotten over it, but Naruto knew better than to believe those words. He saw how hard it was for Sasuke to let people near him still. He now knew why his best friend had gotten so closed off all of a sudden and he cursed himself for not trying to find the reason behind it sooner. He saw way more clearly now how the raven tensed every time someone so much as brushed past him on the street. Yeah, he was somewhat fine with Naruto because he trusted him although it still was hard for him to maintain physical contact for long, but Sai had enabled Sasuke to trust many others. He had fucked him up just because he had probably felt like it. And that was unacceptable.

After that thought, the sadness was replaced by another, stronger wave of anger that almost made Naruto see red. Who did Sai think he was, ruining lives left and right? Oh how he wished he could just put his fist through the guy’s face for doing what he had dared to such a long time ago. He would enjoy greatly the sight of him, doubled over in pain, lying in the dirt and…

His train of thought was broken when Sasuke appeared in front of him, looking at him with a small frown on his face, and just then did Naruto realize he had been glaring at the pavement underneath his feet with his fists balled at his sides.

Naruto commanded himself to relax as much as possible and he looked up at Sasuke with questioning look.

“The guy gave me directions. The garage is on the other end of town and apparently works on Sundays too so we should head back to the car,” Sasuke said and then took the time to take in the state his friend was in. “Are you okay?” He asked the blond cautiously and watched as Naruto forced a strained smile on his face.

“Yeah, let’s go,” He answered and began walking in the direction of the neighborhood they had left the car in. He just wished he could muster up enough self-control in his body for the moment he met Sai.

* * *

Naruto was sure that if he unclenched his fists, blood would pour from the places on his palm where his nails had dug in. He was trying his very best not to wipe that plastic smile off of what appeared to be Sai’s face as he looked at them.

“Nice catch there, Sasuke, though he looks a little dumb for you,” The dark-haired teen had said with a smile so fake, that if Naruto looked hard enough, he could probably see a “made in China” plastered somewhere there. “And I should admit you look way much hotter with blue eyes,”

“Cut it out and just tell me what you can give me for the car,” Sasuke said, his back muscles tense from the close proximity he was in with the guy who had taken advantage of him all that time ago.

“Well…” The boy began and circled the car, looking at the paint, opening the doors and inspecting the interior and overall just looking for flaws.

Naruto watched him closely as he moved. The guy was wearing a low cut, black tank top that stopped just above his navel, and low riding black leather pants.

“The car is in good shape, though it is kinda old and not many people use these nowadays so I can’t give you more than five thousand for it,” He said and looked at the pair standing a little to the side. “Though I think I can add an extra thousand to it for a threesome,” He added with that same annoying smile of his.

Naruto growled and took a step forward but Sasuke’s hand shot out in front of him, stopping him from advancing any further.

“What car can we buy for these five thousand?” Sasuke asked. His voice was completely emotionless. It was more than obvious he couldn’t wait to get away from there.

“Anything in particular you’re looking for?” Sai asked slowly, his lids slightly dropping so the double meaning he tried to put in his words wasn’t lost to neither of the other two. The smiling boy walked back towards the teens, seemingly unbothered by the fact that they both seemed to tense further because of the action.

“No, something similar to this one will do,” The Uchiha explained.

“Well I think I can give you Ford F-150 XL from 1994 for that,” The boy gestured towards the car the duo had brought. Sasuke didn’t even wait to see the car or the shape it was in before nodding his head in agreement.

“Follow me then,” Sai said with another irritating smile and walked past Sasuke to lead them to the car. The two teens moved tensly, sharing a look behind the slender raven’s back. Sasuke could easily read the annoyance and anger in Naruto’s eyes. He also noticed the balled up fists by his side and the tension in the tan shoulders, though he guessed that he wasn’t faring any better either right then.

“We’ll take it,” Sasuke announced when they had stopped in front of the Ford in question.

“Fine then, come inside with me so I can give you the papers and protocols you need to sign. Though I could have given you something much better for, let’s say, a blowjob,” Sai said, his smile widening slowly to which Sasuke’s and Naruto’s eyes narrowed and the blond almost growled at the balls this one seemed to have.

“Bring them here,” Naruto said coldly, leaving no room for objection. Fortunately, the other teen just shrugged and then went in the actual garage to grab what he needed.

Naruto sighed in irritation once Sai was out of sight and he put a hand in his wig, ruffling it a little. He was so angry he didn’t have enough words to describe it. That guy was not only a rapist, but was also bat shit crazy and irritating. He glanced at Sasuke to see how he was holding and was relieved to see that the raven was a little stiff, but overall looked okay.

“Damn, I can’t believe the guts he has,” Naruto said exasperatedly, finally letting his hand drop from his fake hair.

“Hn,” Was all Sasuke said before Sai reemerged from the small, make-shift building that was the ‘garage’. He threw a pair of keys in the air towards Sasuke who caught them with practiced ease and put them in his jean’s pocket while Sai took his time approaching them with a folder of papers.

A couple of minutes later all of the requirements were covered and all of their stuff had been moved from one car to the other, courtesy of Naruto while the others took care of the papers.

Just when Naruto was about to get in the car, he heard Sai say something that basically made it impossible for him to not walk over to the two ravens.

“So next time you’re in town you should come by alone, I’ll be more than happy to relieve you from all of that tension you seem to have…” And before he had the time to finish that sentance, a fist had connected with his jaw.

Naruto was breathing heavily as he glared at the boy that now lay in the dirt in front of him. He was about to turn back and grab Sasuke’s hand to drag him in the car, when the next words that left Sai’s mouth left him frozen in his place.

“Why do you insist on acting like the protective boyfriend? Sasuke was obviously wiling last time, and even if he tries to hide it now, I can still see that he wants it,” The boy pushed himself up on his elbows, looking at Naruto with a strange mix of curiosity and smugness that made the blond’s blood boil.

“You sick fucker,” He began through clenched teeth. “News flash, willing and drugged aren’t the same thing,” Naruto said and his fist clenched further.

“Drugged? I didn’t drug him. I just offered and he didn’t decline. If he didn’t want it, he wouldn’t have followed me back to my place,” Sai said.

“You really think I will believe you?” He asked, taking a step forward, glaring at the pale, smiling face.

Sasuke was frowning, obviously deep in thought. Now that he came to think about it, he didn’t remember much of Sai before he had gotten all light-headed and tipsy. And everything after that was very much a blur but… No, he was sure he had struggled. The night may have been a blur, but he was sure he hadn’t wanted at all what had happened. Though if what Deidara had said that night was true, did that mean that he had _wanted_ it with Naruto?

He was yet again surprised that he wasn’t disgusted at all from the thought of being with the blond that way. It was also confusing when he had never even thought of being with someone else before that and now he was thinking about none other than his best friend in a sexual way.

Obviously the conversation between Naruto and Sai was over because Sasuke finally noticed the blond walking back to their new, now legal car and getting in the passenger seat, patiently waiting for Sasuke to get in too with his hands crossed over his chest and a deep scowl on his face. He hadn’t known it was possible to hate someone so much but now he had more than enough proof that it was.

On the bright side, he got to do what he had dreamed of ever since last night.

Seconds later the engine was already running and Sai stood to the side with that annoying, fake mile still on his face, despite the bruise that had already began to form on his jaw. The fucker even had the audacity to wave at them as they exited the garage.

It was a long while before Naruto managed to calm down and relax in his seat in the car. Sasuke was even more silent than usual after that encounter as they both lit a cigarette each and smoked it in silence. Well, as much silence as the busy streets of Chicago could provide, but at least the worst was already over. They couldn’t wait any longer to finally get away from there.

 

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 **A/N:** Well that was the 9th chapter. I really hope you liked it and I'll be awaiting your reviews ^^ **  
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	10. The Lost and Found

**A/N:** Wow, I think it's a miracle I managed to prepare this chapter on time! These past two weeks were so hectic that today is the first day I sat my ass down in a long while. I had to write two essays for two different competitions. One was about Chemistry (and that is my least favorite subject) and it was about happiness and I wrote it last minute while in such a shitty mood, I still wonder how I got second place for what I wrote. The other essay I like more and I'll see how I did there by the end of the month. It's a national competition organized by the Bulgarian Supreme Judicial Council so I'm super pumped to see if they liked my essay.  
In the meantime I had 2 days to prepare a presentation with which I'll be representing the school on another competition on the 22nd so I think it's possible for the next update to be delayed.

Anyway, enough ranting. The important thing about this chapter is that we finally get to meet Itachi! Yaay! Oh, and I had a mood song for this one. Partners in Crime by Set It Off and Ash Costello.

 **A/N 2:**  Well, on the essay meant for the Supreme Judicial Council I got first place for my city and second for the country which is pretty good when I think about it. Not like you all care that much about that but I just thought I'd update just any case there was someone out there holding their breath to find out lol. And that song is still big mood for this story, even now. 

Read on and don't forget to leave me a review. ^.^

* * *

 

The occupants of the small apartment were almost ready to leave. Years of practice had thought them efficiency, and after a quick cup of coffee at six in the morning, they were almost good to go. Minato and Kushina were going through the bags one last time to make sure they had everything they could need, and while the couple was busy, Mikoto used the chance to slip back into her bedroom. Dusk had just broken and thin rays of orange light were streaming in through the windows, bathing the room in cozy, warm lightning.

Slowly, she moved to the double bed and sat on the edge of it. One particular ray of light was currently falling on the small photo on her nightstand. She glanced at it with a sad smile and felt her throat close up at the sight of the faces of her beloved ones, looking at her from the small frame.

There, from the nightsand, Fugaku was staring at her. His eyes were filled with warmth and a small, proud smile was playing on his lips as he held a baby Sasuke in one hand and had his other one over the shoulders of a seven year old Itachi who was beaming at the camera. Little Sasuke was reaching his chubby hands towards the face of his older brother while apparently laughing, rosy pink dusting his pale cheeks.

A single tear slipped down the pale face as Mikoto reached out her slander hand and took the photo, gently caressing the thin, silver frame with her fingers.

“The time has finally come, Fugaku.” She said quietly as her finger moved over the contours of her husband’s face. “I really wish you could have been here to see our family united once again,”

Her voice quivered a little at the end as memories of the happy family they used to be before everything had crumpled down flooded her mind.

“Please watch over our boys until everything is resolved,” A small tear fell on the photo, leaving a wet trail on it as it slid down the glass. Mikoto hugged the frame tightly to her chest, closing her eyes for a second and hoping her prayer would be heard.

“Please,” She whispered again and then slowly, almost uncertainly, placed the photo back on the night stand under the rays of light. She almost felt like her husband was with her at that time, sitting next to her on the bed. But of course, that was ridiculous of her to think. She stood up and took a deep shuddering breath, composing herself again and wiping the wet trails off of her pale face. Then, with one last glance at the picture of her family, she walked back towards the door.

She whispered a small goodbye just before closing it, because somehow, she just couldn’t shake the feeling that the love of her life was with her once again.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke were going to have lunch and then decide what they wanted to do form then on. They had their new identities and a new car which wasn’t registered as stolen anymore. They didn’t even look that recognizable either. All they had left was to get some money because they were already low on budget. Gas these days wasn’t all that cheap and time at a time they needed to eat too, so basically they needed a plan and it wasn’t necessary for it to entail stealing anymore. They could find themselves jobs now. Of course, they didn’t have any education so far but they didn’t need one to be waiters or a janitors. It wasn’t anyone’s dream job but it at least provided an income.

Right now they were in a supermarket. Eating sandwiches from gas stations had gotten tiresome after the third time and they figured that big supermarkets had aisles from which you could buy cheap cooked meals. After they got some necessities like a couple of bottles of water, gum and aid-bands (because anything could happen when you have Naruto somewhere near you), they walked around the aisles in search for whatever else they might need.

It was unfortunate that they didn’t have anywhere to take showers right now and the weather would be getting only warmer from then on, but at least for now they had clean clothes and shoes on their feet. Although for how long that would be, they weren’t entirely sure.

These were the facts which led them to the conclusion that they both needed a job so they could afford to rent a small studio or something like that. They couldn’t continue living in the car like some junkies.

“How about New York?” Naruto asked absent-mindedly as he looked at the numerous toys and board games at the kid’s aisle they were passing by. Neither of them wanted to be near Minnesota in case the police was still looking for them. And besides, Sai was in Chicago, and even though the city was big, Naruto had no doubts the fucker would do his best to find them. Or even if he didn’t, the blond was sure that Murphy’s law would have them run in with him more often than not, and that wasn’t a chance neither Sasuke nor Naruto wanted to take, even if the blond had vowed he was going to brake Sai’s nose if he ever saw him again.

“It could work. It’s far enough from Minnesota and big enough so we can stay low and unnoticed. The problem is we don’t have enough money for gas to get there, and let’s not even talk about food. It’s a twelve hour drive in the least.” Sasuke said, frowning at the end.

“Yeah,” Naruto nodded, scratching the back of his head with a grimace.

They finally got to the food aisle and ceased all conversation in case the people serving it overheard them. Very soon they got their food and headed towards the cashiers to pay. They planned on eating in the car. They still had no elaborate direction as it seemed but they both hoped that until tonight they would have figured out at least where they would be heading to.

“So, should we go to the train station again?” Naruto asked as they walked towards the automatic glass doors.

“Well, I guess it’s our most successful plan so far,” He said with a shrug and walked out from the shop and onto the parking lot. The blond nodded absentmindedly and glanced down at the ground. A small smile appeared on his face as the thought of them being completely free finally settled in. They were basically new people now. The feeling was a little overwhelming. They had endless possibilities. Okay, well probably not endless because of the problem with their education, or therefor, the lack of it, but still. It wasn’t like they couldn’t manage. Hell, Naruto could even be a stripper and he would be able to afford a decent apartment and an overall nice living. He almost chuckled as he imagined Sasuke’s reaction to the idea and the hit over the head he was sure he would receive for it.

His train of thoughts was broken by the hard chest his forehead collided with. He looked up, alarmed and ready to apologize when the words got stuck in his throat.

This man… He looked so much like Sasuke it was actually disturbing. He had that same pale, perfect skin and deep coal eyes, and soft black locks and… And yet he was so different because there was this aura to him that just overwhelmed you, and his eyes were so sharp and spoke of such brute intelligence that in the end, it was impossible to mistake them.

“Are you done daydreaming, hn?” A very cheerful and overly familiar, teasing voice asked and the blond finally managed to peal his eyes away from the sheer perfection that was this man. He looked at Deidara and grinned at the sight of the blond he hadn’t seen from yesterday.

“I see you’re more relaxed then I last saw you,” Naruto said, his grin morphing into a mischievous one as he saw the pink that dusted the other blond’s cheeks at the comment.

“Well, at least I get some,” Deidara answered with a smirk. “You are still on a dry diet,” He said with a fake smile and almost unnoticeably nodded his head towards Sasuke, which made the raven sputter and the young blond blush. Naruto, not able to find a suitable comeback, just mocked him in his face.

Two ravens sighed and rolled their eyes simultaneously at the childish antics of their companions and then both smirked to themselves as the amusing banter continued. Though at one point, it got obvious that Naruto was on the losing end and Sasuke took pity on him.

“Shut up idiot, you’ll only make an even bigger fool of yourself,” He said, shaking his head but still smirking, his amused gaze locked on Naruto.

Naruto just huffed and childishly crossed his arms over his chest. “Figures you wouldn’t side up with your _best friend_ , asshole,” He said with a pout and a mock glare in the raven’s direction which only made said best friend roll his eyes at him yet again.  

“So, I take it you know these two?” The tall dark-haired stranger asked Deidara with visible amusement in his eyes. A soft wind blew, swaying his long, black locks and making the man look even more enchanting than before when Naruto looked at him again.

“Yeah, we go way back,” Deidara confirmed with a smile and turned to look at the pair in front of them.

“Nathen, Alex, this is Itachi, my boyfriend.” He announced, purposely using their fake names. It wasn’t like he didn’t trust his boyfriend with their real identities but he knew that Naruto and Sasuke had just started anew and probably wouldn’t appreciate someone ruining that. Besides, they were in public so anyone could overhear. Also, it wasn’t his call whether they told someone who they really were, trustworthy in Deidara’s opinion or not.

Itachi extended a pale, slender hand towards Naruto and smiled which caused the hairs on the back of the blond's neck to rise. There was something about this man. The way he moved, talked and held himself... It was way too perfect for a normal human being.

“Nice to meet you,” The smooth baritone rang in Naruto’s ears and he realized that, yes, he was now definitely bisexual.

On his side Sasuke was wearing a deep frown on his face because there was something about this man that he felt like he should know. He, of course, accepted the hand and shook it, and the feeling that there was something not right intensified. Sadly, he just didn't seem to be able to put his finger on it so for now he had to be polite. Or well, at least as polite as Sasuke ever got. There was something just very overwhelming about Itachi. It wasn’t necessarily something bad, but there was definitely something that was ringing warning bells in his head. He just didn’t know what or why yet.

“We were just heading towards this cozy place down the street to have lunch, hn. Care to join us?” Deidara asked with a big smile.

“Um, I don’t know, we don’t want to intrude or anything,” Naruto began but was cut off.

“Nah, you aren’t, don’t worry. Come on, it’s out treat,” He said with a wink towards Naruto, knowing that the blond’s main concern had been the money and not the intruding. Deidara then glanced at Sasuke whose eyes had narrowed a little at nothing in particular.

Then, before Sasuke could decline the offer too, Naruto nodded his head at the other blond, already agreeing.

“Let me just swing by the car to leave our stuff,” He said, lifting slightly the plastic bag in his hand and gesturing with his head towards the direction they had left their car. “You stay here, Alex, I’ll be back in a minute,” He added and turned around. It felt strange to be calling Sasuke with that name. It didn’t feel natural to him but he knew it was more than necessary when they were in public.

“So, anything new around you two?” Deidara asked Sasuke conversationally while they waited for Naruto.

“Hn. It has only been a day, Deidara. What do you think might be new?” He asked, pulling his eyebrow up in question. The blond male just shrugged.

“I don’t know, hn, that’s why I’m asking,” He answered defensively with a flick of his blond hair then a sly smirk appeared on his face. “Besides, you look a lot less tense so I was just wondering if anything _interesting_ might have happened,” Deidara added, feigning innocence as he looked at his nails which Sasuke now noticed were painted with black nail polish.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” The raven said dismissively and glanced at Itachi, noticing the pulled up brow as he looked at his boyfriend questioningly.

“He’s just in denial, Alex is totally gay if you ask me,” Deidara answered the silent question, successfully making the young raven in front of him frown.

“I second that,” Naruto announced from afar with a grin on his face as he got back, making Sasuke glare at him, but the teen just shrugged it off. “Now, don’t give me that look. I think it was just a couple of hours ago when I laid out my perfectly convincing case,” He said triumphantly, and unfortunately for the shorter raven, that piqued the interest of the couple in front of them. One had pulled up a perfect dark eyebrow in curiosity and amusement, while the other looked outright mischievous.

“How about you tell me about that case of yours while we walk to the restaurant, hn?” Deidara said, draping his arm over Naruto’s shoulder who grinned just as mischievously.

“Oh man you should have seen him. Over breakfast I made him tell me what he thought of some pretty babes and all he said was that they weren’t his type or whatever, but then I made him look at that one guy, which if I have to be honest even I couldn't pass, and next thing I know, I can’t make him close his mouth! He was just blatantly staring at his ass! I have to admit though, it was a very nice ass, but damn!” Naruto laughed while talking animatedly with Deidara who was grinning and throwing Sasuke pointed looks over his shoulder.

Itachi was walking besides Alex and watched as the emotions flickered over his face. First he saw how irritated he had seemed to be by the fact that Deidara had draped his arm over Nathan, even if Dei was obviously taken and hadn’t meant anything by that gesture. Then he had seen the slight embarrassment that had flickered on his face at Nathan’s story and then how he glared at the teen whenever he dared turn around to look at him. Alex sure was an interesting person and kind of reminded him of his cousin Shisui. Though this teen’s eyes were a deep blue rather than black as it was in Itachi’s family.

They soon entered the small cozy place Deidara had described and Sasuke and Naruto had to admit, it was nice. It wasn’t overly crowded but still had enough people to create that nice cloak around them of talking and laughter. It was surrounded by windows which let the light in, bathing the whole café in sunlight although the air conditioning didn't allow the people inside to get too hot.

A couple of heads whipped to stare at them as the four walked in. There was no denying how attractive they all were, though most of the gazes lingered on the two ravens and the grace with which they carried themselves towards the booth for four where they all sat down.

They didn’t have to wait more than thirty seconds before a petite girl with a black apron with the name of the place written in bald white letter on it approached them. There was a small blush dusting her cheeks as she smiled at the men. She was mentally dancing happily in her head that they had chosen to sit in the section of the café she was in charge of today. Too bad she didn't know three out of four were gay and then the fourth one was positively leaning more to the dark side.

“Good afternoon. Here are the menus,” She began, placing one before each of them. “What would you like to drink?” She asked in an overly cheerful voice. Her big green eyes sparkled as she pulled her pen and pad out and then let her eyes roam the faces of her costumers.

“I’ll have a black coffee,” Sasuke said in a bored tone, not lifting his eyes from the menu.

“Green tea,” Naruto said from beside him, sending the waitress a charming smile and a small wink, making her blush intensify.

“I’ll have green tea too and for him just water,” Itachi, who was sitting directly across from Naruto, said. The girl nodded, scribbling the order down and stalking away hurriedly so to get their drinks.

“Hey, I wanted a coffee too, hn,” Deidara whined with a pout, throwing a small glare towards his boyfriend even though he knew the raven could never be intimidated by that.

“You already had coffee today and you know how you get when you drink more than one,” Itachi said calmly with a pointed look towards the blond who huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

Naruto watched with amusement the exchange between the couple and almost smiled but then he suddenly remembered something which made his smile drop.

_“Though I guess that the saying is right that opposites attract,” Suigetsu finished with a shrug, finally stopping at some random channel when a small smirk appeared on his lips. “Something like you two I guess,” He added. “You both even bare a resemblance to them,”_

Naruto let that thought disturb him for a total of two seconds before dismissing it. The only resemblance was in their looks, nothing more. And every couple bickered about stupid stuff so… Wait, no, that didn’t sound right, all _friends_ bickered about stupid stuff, because Sasuke and he weren’t a couple.

“Oh man, he has you whipped,” Naruto said with a chuckle and a shake of his head, making the blond-haired male glare at him instead. He decided that now wasn’t the time for the thoughts he was having a second ago.

“Like you’re one to talk, hn! You always do whatever Alex tells you to,” He said and watched as the amusement vanished from the green eyes which also narrowed into a glare.

There was a snort from beside Naruto and his glare intensified as he realized it had come from Sasuke.

“Shut up, bastard,” He growled but that only made the smirk on the younger raven’s face widen.

“I didn’t say anything,” He said, closing the menu and placing it back on the table before arching his brow at the blond beside him.

“That doesn’t mean you weren’t going to,” Naruto countered.

Itachi watched the exchange with amusement in his black eyes. These two were just somehow refreshing and he could see why Deidara seemed to like them.

“How long have you been together?” He suddenly asked, interested in the two boys in front of him.

“Almost fourteen years,” Naruto answered but when he saw one elegant black eyebrow rise, he suddenly realized that this wasn’t what the man had asked. “I mean, we’ve been friends since we were four,” He clarified hurriedly.

“So you’re around eighteen,” The man stated, dismissing the previous topic about them being and item. It was obvious that even if they were they wouldn’t share that information. For now at least.

Deidara had dropped the glares and pouts and was worriedly glancing from one boy to the other in case he needed to help them. Although he really didn’t know how he could of help to them, he wasn’t that good at lying. Especially if he had to lie to Itachi. He swore the man had a lie-detector hidden in him somewhere. Probably in his eyes.

“Don’t let his height fool you. Nathan is still four,” Sasuke said and then smirked as he felt a glare directed towards the side of his head.

“I guess that you probably go to school together?” Itachi asked then to stop another banter in its wake, but he also immediately noticed the tensing in both teens’ shoulders at the question.

“Um, we don’t exactly…” Naruto started, sending Sasuke a panicked look, asking him for help. That also didn’t go unnoticed by the other raven.

“We don’t go to school right now,” Sasuke said evenly. Itachi’s eyebrow raised again and he looked like he wanted to ask another question but he was interrupted by the waitress bringing their drinks.

She placed carefully in front of each of them what they had requested and pulled her pad out again.

“Anything else I can bring you form the menu?” She asked with a smile.

“I’ll have a burger with French fries,” Naruto said with a smile.

“Yeah, me too, and a green salad for him,” Deidara said, gesturing towards Itachi. The girl wrote it all down and turned her questioning green eyes towards Sasuke.

“I think I’ll have the salad too,” He told her and gave her back the menu. The girl nodded and with a blush and a shy smile, went to tend to some other customers.

“So, why aren’t you in school? Aren’t your parents opposed to that?” Itachi asked, propping his chin on his palm as his eyes flickered from one boy to the other. Deidara frowned from beside him. His boyfriend was going into dangerous waters and the worst part was that they couldn’t refuse to answer because on a normal basis, the questions were just ordinary and avoiding them would raise suspicion. But then again, they couldn’t answer truthfully either even if Deidara trusted Itachi. He was a stranger to them so he understood that they didn’t want to risk it.

“I don’t feel like talking about that,” Sasuke said coldly, holding Itachi’s gaze, almost daring him to press the matter further.

The older Uchiha had to admit that it was rather impressive how the teen seemed unfazed by him and had no problem staring him down. It was rare for someone to manage to hold their ground against him so well. He decided that he liked Alex very much.

“I take it you’re not from Chicago then,” He said conversationally, taping his index finger on his cheek as he waited for an answer. At that Naruto frowned.

“How’d you guess that?” He asked.

“Because if it was just yesterday when you last saw Deidara, then that means that was still in Lewistown,” Sasuke’s eyes narrowed at the observation while Naruto’s widened. That statement further proved his initial assumption about Itachi and how he was probably brutally intelligent. “So are you heading somewhere?”

“Well, probably New York,” Naruto answered with a shrug.

“Probably?” Itachi dropped the hand that he had used to prop his chin on and once again pulled his eyebrow up, making Naruto again realize how much this man looked like Sasuke.

“Well, yeah, you see, we are on a road trip,” He said and nodded his head a little as if convincing himself. “And it is nearing its end so…”

“Well that is great. I live in New York too,” The tall raven said. “Maybe I will see you there sometime,” He added and glanced at the girl that was walking towards their table, a tray of food in her hands.

She gently placed their orders in front of them and smiled sweetly before walking away. They had all just prepared to eat when a phone went off and Naruto and Sasuke both glanced up in time to see Itachi sigh, place his fork down and then fish out the devise from his pocket.

“Uchiha speaking,” He said in an all business tone when he picked up which made Sasuke’s eyes widen and Naruto choke on his bite from beside him. The blond had begun hitting his chest and coughing violently until the raven beside him finally noticed and hit his back a couple of times.

They shared a confused, almost panicked look, and then turned their questioning gazes towards Deidara. The blond male only shrugged and smiled apologetically. He guessed that he probably should have told them earlier but there wasn’t much to say right now.

The teens regained their composure around the same times Itachi finished his phone call. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like the raven had noticed the commotion his last name had created. Or at least, hopefully, hadn’t guessed it was because of it.

* * *

“I can’t believe how much he actually looks like you,” Naruto exclaimed as they sat in the car a couple of hours later. The rest of the lunch they had had with the couple was pretty much uneventful except for the waitress who had tried to slip her phone number to Sasuke who, much to the amusement of everyone on the table, just slipped it back in her apron’s pocket while she was talking with Naruto.

“Hn, we are nothing alike,” Sasuke said, his eyes narrowed at the road ahead of them. They had finally decided that they would go to New York and Sasuke was currently driving towards Lansing, very soon to be at the border.

“Oh please, even if the dark eyes, black hair, pale skin thing isn’t enough for you, you both even pull your left eyebrows up!” He exclaimed, looking incredulously at Sasuke. How could he not see it? “Even your last names are the same,” He added, throwing his hands in the air for emphasis.

“He was obviously Japanese-American. The name could be pretty common in Japan, it doesn’t mean anything,” The raven defended evenly.

“Whatever, bastard, I’m just saying that it’s a pretty fucked up coincidence because we’re in America, not Japan,”

“And all I’m saying is that Asian people most of the time are pale, with dark eyes and dark hair. You can’t tell me I’m somehow related to all of them,” He said snappishly, his frown deepening even further if that was possible.

“Geez, fine then, stop acting like someone peed in your coffee,” Naruto answered with a roll of his eyes and a dismissive wave of his hand. And even though it was obvious they wouldn’t be talking anymore about that, at least not that day, Naruto still couldn’t stop thinking about it. Maybe Sasuke couldn’t see the resemblance, but that was always better seen from a third party, right? But even if the two were somehow related, they couldn’t blow their cover up. There was still the possibility that Sasuke was right and they just shared a name and nothing else so it was too much of a risk to admit who they were in reality. And besides, they’ve parted ways already so it was completely possible they wouldn’t ever cross paths again.

* * *

Just a little while before reaching the border, they had to stop again because apparently, while they were shopping in Chicago, they have forgotten to buy toilet paper. Walking around the small and very few aisles of the small gas station at the entry of the town, Naruto and Sasuke had once again fallen in their usual friendly banter. Sasuke had been insisting that the toilet paper could wait but of course Naruto didn’t listen and at that point they were already arguing for something completely different. All teasing had stopped though when they had heard their names being mention on the small radio the cashier was listening to. She was probably no older than them and she was surfing the stations when apparently the mention of the wanted criminals had gotten her attention.

“ _Police stations from all around Minnesota and the surrounding states are currently looking for two boys who had escaped from the, until then, unescapable Minnesota Juvenile Center. Police don’t believe them to be very dangerous but are asking for anyone who had seen Naruto Uzumaki, a blond, blue-eyed teen who is average in height, and or Sasuke Uchiha, who is said to be Japanese-American, with dark eyes and black hair, in the past week to contact their local police station immediately.”_

Naruto and Sasuke shared a look. They had both tensed at first at the mention of their names but their panic subsided somewhat when they remembered they didn’t look very much like the mentioned description anymore courtesy of Deidara. And thanks to Hidan, they could prove that they weren’t the two teens who had escaped from that center so they actually had nothing to worry about.

Still, it was a thrill for them to hear about themselves on the radio and know that so many police departments were on the lookout for them. Naruto almost grinned at the thought that they would most probably slip through their fingers without the cops even noticing. They both loved making them look like fools. But of course, that’s what they got for always underestimating them.

They walked casually towards the petite cashier and Naruto gave her a big lopsided grin and a wink as he placed the toilet paper in front of her. The girl smiled, a blush appearing on her cheeks as she took in the two handsome boys in front of her. She took her sweet time scanning the single item and tried to make some small talk but Sasuke quickly cut her off before Naruto could engage in the conversation.

“Flirt,” Sasuke said with a roll of his eyes after they exited the gas station and began walking back to their car.

“What, are you jealous?” The blond asked as he opened the door and wiggled his brows at Sasuke who just rolled his eyes again and got into his seat.

“If I so much as smiled at her, I bet she’d be dropping her panties to the ground, so I don’t see why I should be jealous,” He said, bringing the car to life once again.

“I didn’t mean jealous of me, I mean jealous of her. We already know you don’t swing towards girls,” The blond said. A big, shit-eating grin spreading on his tan face when he saw that Sasuke finally got what he had meant.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” The raven scoffed.

“What? Am I not good enough for you?” Naruto asked, sounding way too serious for the conversation they were having. Actually, for a minute there, Sasuke thought he really was, but that would of course be ridiculous. Right? Naruto may have said he hasn’t dismissed the idea of being with another guy but that didn’t mean he would ever want anything with Sasuke. And either way, Sasuke was probably over-thinking this. He was perhaps still confused because of the way things had gone between them a couple of nights ago, but damn. Now that this had happened, he couldn’t help but think about Naruto in that way at least just a little.

Time at a time a certain word or look, or pose, or even sound would bring out all of these memories he had and he was starting to get a little concerned. As close as they were, he didn’t think these were normal thought to be having about your best friend. But then again, this wasn’t what normal friends did either. They didn’t make out in front of a room full of people and most certainly didn’t give each other handjobs after that. So Sasuke thought he had a right to be confused. And he still couldn’t help but think about what Deidara had said. It had been bugging him from the moment the blond had uttered these words about whether they were intoxicated or not, they knew what they wanted.

Did that mean he had wanted that to happen with Naruto? Had he wanted it subconsciously and when drunk and high had just jumped right into it without thinking about it like he usually would?  And did that mean that Naruto had wanted it too?

Sasuke didn’t know if he was more frustrated or relieved that he couldn’t remember who had started it.

“Now that I think about it, do you even have a type?” Naruto asked and it was then that the raven realized he had taken way too long to answer his friend’s previous question. He wondered for a second how Naruto had taken his silence but quickly dismissed the thought. If he was asking new questions then that meant he probably hadn’t cared all that much about the previous one. And god only knew how frustratingly persistent this blond could be.

“I guess I don’t really have one,” Sasuke said, not letting anything from his thoughts slip. It was a good question actually. He hadn’t really thought about what his type could be until now.

“How can you not know? You can’t not know what turns you on!” The blond said incredulously.

“Well apparently I can because for the past year the only person I’ve had anything sexual with was you,” Sasuke said and almost immediately regretted the words. Where was his big, genius brain when he needed it? This statement could be taken in so many wrong ways, he didn’t even dare think of them all. Was Naruto rubbing off on him so much, he had started to speak before he thought too?

“Do you mean to tell me that I’m your type?” Naruto asked, amusement clear in his voice as he once again wiggled his brows at the raven. Said raven had no idea how to answer that. If he said yes, that would most probably make things between them awkward because it sure sounded like an admission to him, which he in no way was planning to make. If he said no, Naruto would continue to be Naruto and would probably argue so Sasuke settled for his best option.

“Hn,” He said noncommittally and rolled his eyes. “Idiot,” Yep, that always did it. With this he had successfully shut up Naruto and dismissed the topic. Now if only he could figure out a way to do the same for his brain. It had been given so much new things to think about and try to decipher that Sasuke could tell with certainty that another sleepless night was definitely on its’ way.

* * *

“Driving license and the papers for the car, please,” The police officer said in a gruff voice as he leaned down to see the car’s occupants better. Naruto and Sasuke were just crossing the state border between Illinois and Indiana when they were stopped. They had hoped this wouldn’t have to happen but also were very glad it had happened now instead of sometime earlier, say before they reached Lewistown.

Sasuke shuffled for a little while with his wallet (which used to belong to the night guard in the Center) as he pulled out his driving license and Naruto helped with getting out the papers from the glove department.

The officer took his sweet time checking them. He looked like he was hesitant and Sasuke wondered if maybe Hidan wasn’t as good as Kisame had said. But then again, the giant man had never lied about someone’s abilities before. Even so, Sasuke could feel his pulse pick up just a tiny bit. It wasn’t like he was nervous, more like anxious to find out if he’ll have to step on the gas and disappear from there as soon as possible.

Just when the raven was about to ask if there was a problem, the cop nodded faintly to himself and returned the papers to the driver, although very obviously he wasn’t done.

“Where are you two young men headed to?” He asked with a friendly smile, apparently satisfied with their papers and just wanting to make small talk. But unlike the cashier at the gas station, Sasuke couldn’t afford to piss off this person.

“New York,” Naruto answered with a friendly smile of his own.

“You’re quite far. Must be some serious road trip you are having,” It was a statement, but the question in it was clear to the two teens.

“Yeah, something like that,” The blond nodded, that same casual smile still on his face.

“Well okay then, I won’t hold you back any longer, boys. Stay safe and Happy Independence day,” The cop said, and with a small nod and a wink, he took a couple of steps back, letting them continue.

They had both apparently forgotten what day it was because both teens shared a look as realization dawned on them. Of course. They had escaped on the night of the 29th of June, five days ago, so that meant it had to be the 4th of July that day. Well, it was kinda hard to keep track of the days when you spent so much of them in a car anyway. And they couldn’t believe it had passed so little time from the night they had escaped. It certainly felt to them like they had been on the road for longer, but that of course could be blamed on all the stuff that had happened to them in the span of these five days which made it feel like such a longer time.

Sasuke rolled his window back up and he heard Naruto sigh from beside him.

“Damn, I hadn’t been so on edge since the night we escaped,” The blond said with a nervous laugh.

“I’m just glad that the psycho Hidan knew what he was doing. I bet the police had seen a lot of fakes so it was good Kisame pulled some strings,”

“Yeah, he may not look it, but he’s such a softie,” Naruto said with a grin and when he received a very concerned look from the raven, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Well, at least when it comes to me,”

Sasuke just shook his head, deciding he didn’t feel like arguing about whether the giant of a man, from whom almost everyone was scared, was actually a ‘softie’.

* * *

Two hours later it was already nearing seven in the evening. Naruto was getting a little fidgety in his seat. Sitting so long in a car had made him feel stiff. He almost couldn’t feel his ass anymore and he felt a burning need in his legs to walk around. Sasuke wasn’t feeling any better but because of entirely different reasons. He hadn’t slept well for two nights now and sitting so long behind the steering wheel was beginning to take its toll on him so when they reached Forth Wayne, they both decided it was time for a break.

Naruto insisted on going in the city and, not wanting to appear weak or too tired, Sasuke had agreed without much of an argument. Besides, it was the 4th of July, of course Naruto would want to go to the city. So they had done just that and not half an hour later, after Sasuke had circled six different blocks at least a couple of dozen times, they had found a parking spot. Apparently a lot of people had come to spend the holiday here and that was something they were going to take advantage of. Not only could they easily blend with the crowd that way and escape if pursued, but they were also low on cash. Big crowds in big cities at big holidays were the prefect place and time to be fixing that if you didn’t have the time to be searching for a job.

So after they effortlessly blended with the crowd, they decided that they should indulge, probably for the last time if they really planned on starting clean, in one of their favorite games since they had started living on the streets. Of course, like everything else with them, it was a sort of a competition.

Basically they went on a really busy street, decided on a meet point and a time at which they’d meet there, and then they would split up. Usually they gave each other half an hour and in that half an hour they had to get as much money as possible. Everything was allowed as long as you didn’t get caught. Then, when they met, they counted the money each of them had gotten and usually the winner got to decide what they would be eating.

Looking down at the city center they quickly picked their meet point and the bet for that one, seeing as they still had some food in the car. The two teens nodded at each other, one grinning and the other smirking, but the eyes of the both of them were gleaming with the same amusement and mischief. They bumped fists and split up, disappearing in the crowd from each other’s line of vision.

* * *

Exactly thirty minutes later a panting Naruto leaned back on the concrete wall of the building that was their meet point. He was in the alley between it and some other building, away from the eyes of the people on the streets. Not like many of them were paying any attention, too busy with their own conversations and good time to notice him, but he had had a few close calls with a person or two. One had even tried to chase him but the old, fat man was hardly a match for Naruto’s speed who’d had years of practice with running down streets, escaping people just like that one. Also, the crowd was way too thick and loud for anyone to pay the man much attention when he had shouted ‘thief’, which the blond was grateful for.

He had gotten close to hundred and seventy bucks this time which was more than good. The people here had gone out to have a good time, get drinks, probably planning to stay out late or whatever so they had a lot of money on them.

Naruto’s pulse quickly went back to normal and his breathing calmed down. A slow grin spread on his face at thought that they’d be doing so much better from now on with so much money on them. Coupled up with what Sasuke had probably gotten, the money would probably last them until they reached their destination and found jobs.

Speaking of the bastard, Naruto checked his watch and realized the raven was close to five minutes late. That gave pause to his good mood and he scowled. That was very unlike him. Actually, most of the time Naruto was the one to be late but he decided to have faith in his best friend and give him five more minutes to show up. If he didn’t, he’d start searching for him.

He leaned on the dirty wall once again and put his hands in his pockets. As the seconds ticked by and were soon turning into minutes, Naruto’s anxiety grew. With a deep frown he pushed himself off the wall, ready to walk out of the alley when he felt a familiar presence behind him that made all of his worries fade and that triumphant grin reappear on his face.

“You’re late,” He said as he turned around to face a smirking Sasuke.

“Hn, whatever. How much did you get?” He asked and watched as Naruto’s grin widened even further.

“A hundred and sixty-eight,” The blond said smugly, but the smugness was soon wiped off his face when he saw Sasuke’s smirk widen. Without needing to be asked twice, the raven gave the number of the money he had managed to steal.

“Hundred ninety-two,”

“I would have probably been mad about losing if it weren’t for the amount of money we now have,” Naruto said with a grin. “Good job,” He added and lifted his fist for Sasuke to bump it with his, signaling the end of their game. No matter who won in these games technically they both walked out as winners because the money they got was for the both of them.

“Loser has to buy the drinks remember?” Sasuke smirked.

“Yeah, yeah, come on,” Naruto answered with a roll of his eyes and grabbed the raven by the wrist, dragging him out of the alley and onto the loud and crowded city center.

Said raven, was trying his hardest not to pay attention to the warm feeling of Naruto’s hand on his.

* * *

Later that evening, at eleven forty, two teens stumbled back to their pickup. They were laughing loudly and joking around, obviously in no condition to be driving, or do anything much of anything else for that matter. Naruto and Sasuke first opened the passengers’ side of the car to dig around the glove department for the containers of their contact lenses. They found them after a while and took out the small lenses out to let their eyes rest. Naruto also took his wig off and threw it on the front seat, ruffling his hair slightly after that. It was dark enough anyway and not many people would see their true eye colors or hairs. Besides, most of the people around them would be drunk too so none of them would be really paying any attention to them.

After that they clumsily climbed the back of the pickup, magically doing it without spilling the almost full bottles of cheap wine in their grasps. They were very happy that no one seemed to care about their age when they bought alcohol tonight. Not like they wouldn’t have found another way to get some, it just saved them the inconvenience.

They both sat heavily in the car, prompted up on the back window, their legs outstretched in front of them as they took some time to regain their composure. There wasn’t really anyone around to see them. Mostly everyone was somewhere partying and they were in a place far enough from the center they could still hear the noise and music from there, but there weren’t many people around. They were also in a fairly clear place which was also a little above the level of the city center, with not that many tall building so they could watch comfortably the fireworks which would start in a little while.

Naruto shifted a little, bumping his knee in Sasuke’s thigh a lot less gracefully or subtly than he normally would.

“So, your birthday’s commin’ soon,” He said casually and Sasuke snorted in amusement at the slur in his friends words. He was about to answer but the heat on his thigh coming from Naruto’s leg was a little distracting for him at the moment so he had to move his leg first before being able to think somewhat clearly. Well, as clearly as someone in his state of intoxication could think.

“So?” He asked, and slowly turned to look at the blond. His head was spinning so much, he feared that if he turned any faster, he might fall down even if he was in a sitting position.

“What’d ya mean, ‘so’? You’ll be turnin’ eighteen. Isn’t it supposed to be a big deal or somethin’?”

“Not if I don’t want it to be,” Sasuke said pointedly with a pulled up brow and then turned forwards again, taking a swig from his bottle.

“You mean you aren’t even just a little bit excited?” The blond asked incredulously and the Uchiha just shrugged.

“The way we’ve lived so far, our birthdays hadn’t been any different from the other days of the year so I don’t see why I should be excited about this one either,” The raven explained, a little slower than usual but at least he could pride himself in not slurring so much. Naruto frowned beside him, apparently deep in thought. He took a big gulp from his bottle and his face finally cleared as he turned his head to look at his friend.

“This one will be different,” He told Sasuke confidently who seemed confused at first at the statement.

“How so?” He asked, deciding that sometimes Naruto was hard enough for him to decipher when he was sober, the raven didn’t want to try to do it when he was drunk. He was a little amused when he saw Naruto shrug sloppily and take another swig from his bottle. The Uchiha decided to follow his example.

“I don’t know, I can just tell you that it will be. Believe it!” The blond said and the raven actually laughed this time at hearing the old phrase he had thought Naruto had outgrown a long time ago.

“What?” Naruto asked, an amused smile spreading on his face as he saw his best friend so relaxed and even laughing.

“Nothin’” The rave answered after a while, though he was still smirking and shaking his head slightly. Some of the bangs that usually hung in front of his face had gotten free from his ponytail, giving him an air of casualness and making him look even sexier in Naruto’s intoxicated opinion.

“C’mon, tell me!” He slurred, bumping his knee roughly in Sasuke’s leg once again, but this time, instead of shifting away, Sasuke bumped the blond right back.

“It’s just that I haven’t heard you say that in a long time,” He explained, turning to look at his fiend with an amused smile on his face. The blond looked confused for a while, thinking about what exactly he had said, but then realization hit him and he smiled.

“Huh, I guess I haven’t said it in a while,” He said, sounding somewhat surprised.

“Yeah.”

After that Naruto placed his bottle next to him and fished around his pockets for a little while until he found the lighter and the pack of cigarettes he was searching for. He opened it and pulled out two cigarettes, offering one to the raven who took it without a second thought before placing it between his lips. He waited until Naruto had lit his to reach out and also lit Sasuke’s who immediately took a lungful.

He then exhaled, watching the smoke as it lifted into the sky and then dissolved in the night air.

Naruto watched his friend with some sort of a fascination as the raven lifted his bottle to his lips once more. He saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed and then the glistening of his lips while Sasuke placed the glass bottle down next to him again.

The blond suddenly felt his throat go unusually dry so he swallowed tickly, licking his lips after that. He took a drag from his cigarette but that didn’t do much for him either.

Sasuke might have seemed oblivious to what was going on in his friend's head, but in fact, he was fighting with himself. Because of the silence he had begun to feel very aware of Naruto again and was trying to focus his mind on other things, like his cigarette for an instance and the smoke that rose from it.

He took another drag and completely missed the way the blue eyes were once again latched onto his lips as they closed around the cancer stick.

Sasuke had probably thought of something at that moment because he suddenly turned his head towards Naruto with a small smirk on his lips, perhaps to tell him what it was that had brought it there, but he immediately forgot what he was about to say when he saw the intensity in those blue eyes that were watching him with way too much focus for a drunk person.

The raven opened his mouth, probably to say something and try to dissolve the sudden tension he felt between them. It wasn’t tension per se, but there was definitely something heavy in the air between them that he didn’t know what to call, and therefor he knew even less about how to handle it. Although, as it turned out in the end, he didn’t need to say anything.

* * *

Naruto didn’t know what had taken over him but the moment Sasuke had turned his head lazily towards him with that oh-so-familiar smirk on his lips, the blond had begun to lean towards Sasuke ever so slowly. He wasn’t aware that he was doing it, nor even what he was trying to do, but the moment Sasuke opened his mouth to say whatever it was he had wanted to say and Naruto noticed the intensity in those eyes that were locked with his, it became pretty clear what the blond had initially wanted to do.

So before a single sound could leave Sasuke's lips, Naruto had closed the distance between them and had put his lips over the paler ones.

At first they stayed like that, just in a lip lock, but a couple of seconds later Naruto lifted his gaze to Sasuke’s eyes and he began moving his lip, immediately closing his eyes after that. The raven did very much the same and it took him just a second to respond and start moving his mouth against Naruto’s.

Both their breathes smelled like alcohol and cigarettes but neither boy seemed to mind as Naruto just moved closer to the raven, pushing his lips a little more forcefully against the raven’s, growing bolder with his movements. Someone moaned but they couldn't care less about who it had been.

Sasuke’s hands found their way to the back of Naruto’s neck and he laced his fingers there, cigarette forgotten and long ago dropped. He soon got tired of the slow pace of the kiss and decided to take matters into his own hands as he swept his tongue over Naruto’s bottom lip, apparently asking for entrance, wanting to deepen the kiss. He felt the blond stiffen and Sasuke was almost afraid for a moment he’d done the wrong thing but then, just like that, the blond relaxed again and parted his lips just enough to allow Sasuke’s tongue to slip between them, immediately beginning to map out every corner of his mouth.

Neither of them noticed the fireworks had begun, coloring the sky above them in different shapes and colors as they were both too absorbed in each other to notice them, aware only of the fireworks in their chests. They could both hear their own pulses in their ears as the kiss had deepened and the erotic little sounds that their lips made whenever they touched. Sasuke was pulling softly at the blond strands at the back of Naruto's head while their tongues were sliding against each other, making them both very thankful that they were sitting down because neither felt confident enough in their weak knees at the moment. 

Soon they had to stop the kiss to pull in a much needed breath of air and they licked their lips, savoring the taste of the other while their foreheads rested against each other. Only then did they become aware that Sasuke's body was now fully turned towards Naruto with his legs resting on the blond's thighs. Naruto's hands were holding Sasuke's hips as he breathed in the intoxicating scent of the other male. It was also around that time when Naruto noticed the brightly colored sky and he lifted his head slightly to watch in awe as the fireworks continued. Suddenly he could also hear the cheers from the center not so far away, making him wonder for how long their passion had kept them isolated from the world around them.

“Wow…” He said quietly, not really sure what he was referring to exactly. Very soon he pealed his gaze away from the sky to search the obsidian eyes of his best friend whose hands were still locked at the back of his neck, their breaths still mingling as they were trying to catch their breaths. 

“Yeah… wow,” Sasuke said, staring at Naruto’s glistening and slightly swollen lips as he licked his, lust once again fogging his mind when he realized that he was the cause for that and also the half-lidded blue eyes which seemed unable to look away from him. The Uchiha had missed so much that deep blue throughout the whole day which had now darkened considerably with passion. Before he knew it, Sasuke was diving in for another kiss, one hand still fisted in the blond hair while the other moved until it was holding Naruto's cheek. In the meantime tan hands slid up Sasuke's burning body before finding his dark locks and pulling them free from the short ponytail, immediately burrowing themselves in his hair and keeping the Uchiha pressed close to Naruto's body as they slowly lowered themselves down until Sasuke was lying on his back with Naruto between his legs. They didn't break the kiss not even once in the process and it would also be a long while until they would be willing to separate for long enough to be able to breath, just because what they were experiencing right now simply felt so much better than breathing ever could. 

Neither of them had expected this turn of events tonight, but then again, neither of them was even thinking about complaining.

* * *

 

 **A/N:** Well, it took them ten chapters to even kiss and they were yet again drunk. I don't know if I've mentioned this but if you haven's gathered as much so far, this fic will be a slow burn. Don't worry though, we'll get to the juicy parts of their relationship soon enough. You just have to wait for it to actually evolve from friendship to said relationship lol. If you liked that chapter, or if you didn't, don't hesitate to give me your opinion. As I said, next chapter might be a bit delayed, but I'll do my best to post it on time.


	11. A Mistake?

**A/N:** Oookay, I know that this is a whole week late and I'm really sorry, but hey, at least I'm here now. It's just that I'm doing so many things all at once and I find it hard to balance between studying for exams, preparing presentations and essays, writing scenarios for my school's concerts, preparing for my birthday, managing my personal life and also preparing to start work in less than two weeks.

Anyway, Chapter 11 is here, so I hope that you like it. Don't be shy and go leave me a review with your opinion ^.^

* * *

 

The sun had gone up a long time ago, shining down on the now quiet city. It wasn’t early in the morning at all but almost everyone was still sleeping because of having stayed up to the wee hours of the previous night. In result the city was unusually quiet for eleven in the morning, but then again, it could just be the contrast in sound from last night when the streets were filled with music, laughter and the booming sounds of the fireworks.

Somewhere in the quiet city was parked a black pickup and on the back of it were soundly sleeping two teens. Their legs were intertwined, clothes rumpled and hairs disheveled. One blond mop of hair was resting on an evenly rising and falling pale chest, clad in a black T-shirt which had probably seen better days. On that blond mop of hair was resting a pale chin, belonging to a pale face, framed by soft black locks of hair. The bright sun rays were falling over them, gently caressing and warming even more their skin.

They looked peaceful, or at least until one particular sun ray hit a tan eyelid, making its owner scrunch up his face. He soon found a solution though as he hid his face further in the warm chest in front of him. That movement made two pale arms subconsciously tighten around his body and it was then when Naruto’s hangover and still fuzzy brain finally comprehended that there were actually arms around him.

He frowned and slowly opened one eye to be greeted by the black t-shirt his best friend had been wearing last night. Nothing strange in that except for the proximity he was with said shirt and therefor said best friend. He closed that eye again and didn’t move anymore but he also didn’t fall asleep again because now he was trying to remember what had happened exactly last night to result in him waking up like that. Not that it was an unpleasant way to wake up, far from it, he was just curious though.

He remembered their game and how Sasuke had once again won, then how they had gone to the first shop they had seen and bought beer. For a while they had walked around the crowded city, talking, teasing, laughing, the beer bottles had been only increasing their count until they had decided they wanted wine. But at that point it had gotten pretty late and they had gone back to the car. By then the memories were getting kinda fuzzy, but were still there.

He remembered how he had lit their cigarettes and then a minute or two later he had… he had kissed Sasuke. With that he also remembered how much he had wanted to kiss him at the time, how good Sasuke had been looking last night, and last but not least, how awesome it had turned out in the end to kiss his best friend.

Surprisingly these thoughts and memories didn’t make Naruto freak out in the least. Instead a slow, self-satisfied smile spread on his lips. Yeah, he had kissed Sasuke, but Sasuke had kissed right back and had later initiated a lot, much more heated kisses. Because of that Naruto didn’t feel awkward for what he’d done, nor did he feel apologetic. It had been reciprocated and nice. Way too nice actually. He had previous experience of course. He hadn’t had a girlfriend but he knew the ropes of kissing and how to do it properly so he had experience to compare the kiss from last night to. And yes, making out with his best friend had turned out to be the best it had ever felt.

But what was he supposed to do with that information? Now that he wasn’t drunk anymore and had still come to the conclusion that he had wanted to kiss Sasuke, what was he supposed to do? Should he act like nothing had happened for the sake of their friendship or act like it was completely normal to be making out with your best friend now? Or should he just come out right away and tell Sasuke that he had liked the idea of kissing him so much that he wanted to make a habit out of it? But of course that would probably sound like a confession. Like he was asking for more than just friendship and he wasn’t sure how Sasuke would react to that. He also wasn’t sure why the thought of a relationship with Sasuke wasn’t freaking him out in the slightest, considering it was the first time it had ever even crossed his mind, but instead, it was making all sorts of weird twists to his stomach and making his face heat up with something far from embarrassment but rather anticipation. 

In the end the blond decided to ignore his reaction to these thoughts and wait for Sasuke to wake up and then he’d see what the raven thought about all that and what he wanted to do. Naruto wasn’t the one who had problems with people getting close to him so Sasuke’s feelings and thoughts in this situation were a tad bit more important. Not that he expected Sasuke to be all for a relationship right now. Hell, even he himself wasn’t sure that was something they needed at the moment and usually he wasn’t one to think through these things much. But it would be also nice to know that the raven wasn’t completely opposed to the idea. Maybe someday, after they’d started anew, had jobs and stability…

Yeah, he was probably thinking way too much into it and if there was someone capable of reading his thoughts right now, no doubt they’ll think he was some sort of a girly sap.

Naruto decided that he would try and sleep for a little while longer. A headache had started to form in his temples because of all the thinking he’d done, though the alcohol he had consumed last night was probably also to blame. And let’s not talk about all the new ideas about their future that had started to form in his blond head which were as thrilling as they were scary.

So with that, he snuggled a little closer to Sasuke, inhaled deeply his scent, and tried to clear his mind. He enjoyed greatly the sensation of the long, slender arms around his body and the slow movement of the chest under his forehead. In no time he was once again asleep and with all thoughts erased, Naruto was once again at peace.

* * *

When Sasuke awoke, it was to find a peacefully sleeping blond in his hands. At first he didn’t react much. He just laid there, forcing his mind to conjure up the memories he had from last night and was actually surprised he remembered everything. Not that he was a lightweight but wine could make him forget some stuff. But that wasn’t the most surprising thing. It was the fact that last night he had made out with Naruto rather heatedly on a couple of occasions. It’s not like he hadn’t seen it coming. Actually, now that he thought about it, he might have subconsciously known all along it would happen at one point. He just hadn’t known when.

But that still wasn’t what surprised him the most. No, it was how calmly he was taking it. Maybe it was because he had subconsciously expected it or maybe he had just liked it too much to freak out about it now, though in his hangover opinion, he probably should be a little freaked out he had liked kissing Naruto so much. But the matter of the fact was that he wasn’t freaking out, not in the least. Instead he was rewinding those moments from last night and had subconsciously tightened his arms around the still sleeping blond, apparently wanting him closer.

Now that had the effect on him and he frowned while loosening his grip around the blond’s frame, although he still didn’t let go.

What was he thinking? It shouldn’t be normal for him to be cuddling with Naruto, and further more to be making out with him. He certainly shouldn’t want a repeat when he was sober. He was somewhat okay with it when they were drunk because he had an excuse about why they’d done it. Even if Deidara’s words dismissed that entirely, he could ignore them and insist it was all the alcohol’s doing. But when they were sober, for him to explain such a thing he would have to tap into his emotions. And that was something he didn’t think he was ready to do. It could be very dangerous for the both of them if he did and he didn’t want to even think about what he might find out about himself or Naruto if he decided to get in tune with his feelings for solving this one out.

So what now? If he remembered then Naruto sure would too. Should he tell him he just didn’t remember and take the easy way out?

He quickly discarded the idea. Naruto would see through the lie in the matter of seconds. He knew him all too well to buy that. So then should he just tell him he didn’t want to talk about it? That was true enough.

He had almost decided that this was what he was about to do when he realized that, if Naruto asked why, he wouldn’t know what to say. He had no idea why this was bugging him so much that he was already planning his escape from it if the need arose. Naruto was a simple person mostly and sure wouldn’t read too much into a drunken kissing. Just like last time something of the sort had happened between them Naruto had kept his head about it, very much unlike Sasuke had back then. Why was he more freaked out of the idea that Naruto would want to talk to him about what they’d done, than from the actual _thing_ they’ve done?

He could probably answer that pretty easily too if he mused a little more about what he felt exactly, but as he said earlier, that was dangerous. So instead he chose the easiest way of explaining it, telling himself it was because they had too much on their plates to be dealing with that right now. Emotional baggage like relationships wasn’t something they needed, not with the way things were at the moment...Right?

But then again, no one had ever said anything about a relationship between them and here he was considering it.

Of course, while it wasn’t a lie that they had a lot to deal with right now, it wasn’t the complete truth either as to why he wasn’t sure he wanted a relationship and he knew it. But then again, who said that Naruto would want anything of the sort between them? Sasuke could be just overthinking it, preparing for a conversation that might not even take place between them at all. For all he knew, Naruto might decide to act like nothing had happened.

Strangely enough, that thought didn’t sit too well with him. It actually annoyed him if he had to be honest, but that was quickly pushed down. He didn’t have the right to blame Naruto if he decided to do just that when just a couple of days ago the raven had decided it was for the best to do the same. Not like he had succeeded, but that was beside the point.

He was confused right now, that’s what he was. And hangover. So instead of tormenting himself further, Sasuke decided he would wait and see how things unfolded between them concerning the happenings of last night. All he was sure of was that he wasn’t sure of anything right now. He didn’t know what he would do if he had to decide what he wanted with Naruto. But as he said, he was probably just overthinking it so he tried to clear his head a little for now.

He took a deep breath and released it slowly which made Naruto frown in his sleep. His head was still resting on the raven’s chest so no doubt he had felt the long intake of breath and apparently that had started to awaken him.

The blond soon gathered enough strength to open his eyes, once again greeted by the raven’s black shirt. His senses were again flooded by all that was Sasuke: his scent, heat, the sound of his heartbeat and then the deep, gruff rumble of his voice in the morning.

“Comfortable much?” He asked with amusement, one eyebrow already pulled up. He was very glad that none of what had been going through his head had appeared on his face or in his voice.

“Seeing how you still won’t let go of me, I don’t have a choice now do I?” Naruto said, looking up at Sasuke with a smirk. His blue eyes shining with amusement when he saw Sasuke roll his, before finally letting go of him. The blond refused to feel disappointed and instead he just lifted himself up to a sitting position. He stretched sleepily, his green T-shirt lifting slightly as he did so.

“What time is it?” He asked through a yawn after a little while when Sasuke had pulled himself up to a sitting position too.

“One thirty,” Sasuke answered and heard the blond whistle in surprise.

“Wow, we sure slept in, huh? Though I have to admit, I haven’t slept that well in a very long time,”

Sasuke refused to read too much into that statement and instead changed the topic.

“Let’s have something to eat. We should hit the road again after that,”

“Yeah, I think I would need coffee today too,” Naruto said as he felt the dull ache in his head. Then he reluctantly got down from the pickup and went around it to get to his lenses and wig while the raven pulled his hair up again. He brought Sasuke’s lenses to him and waited until he was done and down on the ground too so that they could go and find themselves a café or something. They needed to get themselves some much needed dose of caffeine to get their systems working properly again before going back to the car to continue on their journey to New York.

* * *

An hour later they were near the state border with Ohio and neither of them had yet had the bravery to say something about what they’d done last night. Apparently both of them had decided that they would wait for the other to mention it first and both didn’t know if they were more relieved or frustrated that their identical plans weren’t working. Relieved, because no doubt that conversation would be awkward, but frustrated because they were currently walking on egg shells around each other for that whole time they had been awake. No matter how much they tried to appear casual to the other, they were both feeling the tension and it was beginning to pull at their nerves.

Then, in a split second, Naruto saw the fault in his own plan and almost rolled his eyes at his stupidity. Sasuke wasn’t among the most talkative of people on a good day, why had he decided that the raven would be the one to start such a conversation? To his defense, he had been hangover and still fuzzy with sleep when he had thought of that plan, but still! Even for a time like that it was a really dumb one.

The blond refused the urge to face-palm and instead took a deep breath, realizing he had to be the one to start talking if he wanted to see what was running through Sasuke’s mind because for the last hour he’d been even more quiet than usual.

“So, um...,” Naruto awkwardly cleared his throat. “About last night…” He began uncertainly and dared to look at Sasuke who had pulled up his left brow in question. There was a strain to his features which spoke that he knew exactly what Naruto wanted to talk about.

“What about it?” He asked evenly, not giving away how his stomach had twisted the moment the blond had started talking.

“Well, um, I think we should probably talk,” Naruto said slowly, as if picking carefully his every word. And he was. It was a tender topic if you considered that they’d have to talk about it for the second time.

“Talk.” The raven said simply, again sending the ball in Naruto’s court, but that of course had been long anticipated.

The blond swallowed tickly and took a deep breath through his nose. He hadn’t really planned what he’d say even if he knew he’ll have to be the one to open up first so he took a moment to rearrange his thoughts.

“Well, to be honest, I think this stuff has been happening way too much to claim that it was all just because of the alcohol. And no one dared me this time, so even that excuse won’t work. And, um, also, you responded both times too so I should be glad I guess that it’s not all one sided, but I think that whatever it is that has developed between us, we should either figure out a way to get it out of our systems or stop it entirely or… I don’t know. Lately every time we drink something like that happens and we apparently have little to no control when we are drunk and…” Naruto stopped to take a breath.

“You’re rambling,” Sasuke reminded him in the meantime. Naruto had been frowning until then, but at these words, the frown turned into a scowl and he glared at the driver.

“Well excuse me, but I’m not the one who usually freaks out about these stuff so I’m trying my best here to figure out how to say what I think without triggering you and all of your boundary issues,” Naruto said, raising his voice slightly. He crossed his hands over his chest after that and turned his glare towards the window. Who did Sasuke think he was? He hadn’t said a single word and he was trying to scold Naruto for rambling? Well someone had to say this stuff and clear the air somewhat between them. If anything, Sasuke had to be thankful to Naruto that he was willing to take that task upon himself.

Too absorbed in his inner thoughts, the blond didn’t see the frown that appeared between the thin, black eyebrows. So Naruto was being cautious, huh? Well, fuck that, why did he have to start being cautious with him right now? He had never considered how his words would affect the raven before, why start now when Sasuke wanted to hear exactly what was on Naruto’s mind the most? If anything, Naruto’s honesty and ability to not care if he pissed Sasuke off or not was actually what the raven appreciated the most about the blond.

“Well then go ahead and say whatever you’re thinking. You’ve never had problems with that before,” He said, his irritation seeping into his voice. It took Naruto a moment to see the insult in there, but even after he did, he decided to ignore it. Instead he did exactly as Sasuke had asked and started talking.

“I’m trying to say here that I’m not sure if it was all because of the alcohol, twice now, or if I have a thing for you, because from what I’ve heard, and what I remember, I’m always the one to initiate it even if you respond! With you it’s easy. You can always say you responded because you were drunk but what can _I_ say? What excuse do I have? I clearly remember how much I wanted to kiss you last night and you know that even when I’m sober I act before thinking so I obviously didn’t think it through at all and here we are now. So, Sasuke, how do you tell your male best friend, who by the way tries to detach himself from all people around him and has personal space issues the size of a mountain, that you might have a thing for him?” Naruto said bitingly at the end.

Well, at least Sasuke didn’t have to worry that the blond was holding back his thoughts anymore because now they were clearly out there in the open, hanging heavily between them. Thoughts, and also some dubious, unconfirmed feelings to which Sasuke had no idea how to respond to or if he even _should_ respond. How was that said best friend, who Naruto so fully and probably correctly described, supposed to deal with that?

He took a moment to think about what to say. It wasn’t like he had an answer at the ready for a situation where your best friend kinda confessed to you but not really. If it was up to him, he’d need up to two business days to think about how to respond to that, but of course, he didn’t have them. All he had was probably no more than a minute before the blond began talking again.

The silence stretched between them for a little while. It had probably been just a moment but it sure felt more like an hour to Naruto until Sasuke finally opened his mouth to talk.

“What happened between us was obviously a mistake. It probably won’t happen again so don’t worry your head about it,” The raven said evenly after a moment. Detached, just like Naruto had described.

The problem was that he just didn’t know how else to deal with what had happened and what had been said. And he certainly didn’t want to be Naruto’s little experiment. He was way too damaged as it was. He didn’t need to put himself through more shit to mentally and emotionally fuck him over even further. Naruto had said it himself that he didn’t know if he liked guys or not and relationships were dangerous. Even if you walked into them without feelings there was no one to say that Sasuke wouldn’t develop some later. And he certainly wouldn’t be walking in without any emotions at this point but at least for now they were somewhat uncertain, undescribed and therefor manageable. Or at least for the most part.

Self-preservation didn’t let the raven try something like a relationship with Naruto just for him to develop stronger feelings and then for the blond to later decide guys just didn’t do it for him. No way would he put himself through that. Because at the end of the day he was currently sharing his life with Naruto, and an unsuccessful relationship would no doubt have a serious impact on their thirteen years of friendship. There was just too much at stake here if you asked Sasuke, too many variables to consider, and certainly too many dangerous outcomes.

The Uchiha didn’t dare look at Naruto to see how he had taken his words, but was completely prepared for an outburst. However, one never came so now he didn’t know how to proceed. Should he say something to elaborate further on what he had said? Should he just stay quiet and hold his ground? Wait for Naruto to say something? He really didn’t know so in the end he just continued driving calmly, though his thoughts were anything else but calm right now. They were raging inside his head, throwing at him things for him to consider further, words the blond had said that made his insides twist, insults at him and at Naruto for handling this situation so poorly, accusations at him for being so emotionally crippled and what not.

Sasuke may know how to act calm but he couldn't find a way to calm himself in reality after what had transpired between them the previous night and also just then.

* * *

After the raven had said what he had, Naruto had no choice but to be a little shocked. He couldn’t say he had expected to hear that, but then again it would also be a lie if he tried to say that he hadn’t tried to prepare himself for it. Still, it had hurt a little. To try and tell someone that you may have feelings for them and to be rejected in such a way. And from your best friend no less. And the worst part was that Naruto could try and control himself when he was sober, but what about the next time they drank and something of the like happened? He hardly ever thought before acting when he hadn’t had anything to drink. You could imagine what alcohol did to his ability to think. It pretty much erased it completely.

But then again, if the roles had been reversed and someone had told him they _might_ be having feelings for him, he wasn’t sure he would have pounced on the idea of being with them. Best friend or not. He would be too uncertain in what that person was feeling which would be probably reinforced by the PTSD caused by the creepy guy who had tried to rape him not even a year earlier. So he really had no right to be blaming Sasuke here for what had happened. He could only blame himself for his stupidity and inability to predict the now so obvious outcome of his words and actions.

Naruto watched the raven from the corner of his eye and he wished with all his heart that he knew what was going on in Sasuke’s head. From the looks of it, it was a lot and apparently bothering him greatly. But of course, considering what had just unfolded between them, he couldn’t just go and outright ask him what he was thinking. But he also knew no other way to make his best friend voice his thoughts when you excluded bugging him about it until he gave in.

So in the end Naruto stayed quiet. He was scolding himself for doing what he had, for saying what he did. He was cursing Sai, he was blaming his own boldness and lack of filter on his mouth. And most of all, he was mad at himself and apparently how easily he was developing feelings.

Although, now that he thought about it, things had probably started way before Deidara’s party. Now that he thought about it, there were some certain signs of his fascination with the raven from before that. Like how he always searched for Sasuke, how he was always seeking to be close to him and trying to provoke a reaction out of him. It may have been so subtle, that he himself hadn’t been able to see it at the time, but now it was getting clearer and he couldn’t help but think how much of an idiot he was for not realizing it earlier.

But then again, that probably didn’t mean he had a crush on Sasuke. He loved him, yeah, but as far as he could tell, it was only as a friend. And except for Sasuke, he had no one else to whom he could be really close to considering their lifestyle. And as a very physical person like himself, wouldn’t it be normal to seek that closeness with whoever was available to him? That made him sound like such a terrible person, but the matter of the fact was that he could tell there was something more there than just that. He knew he felt certain things for the raven that normal friends didn’t feel for each other. But of course, he could do nothing about it except to ignore these feelings and pray they would just go away as time passed. He certainly had no idea what he would do if he continued to feel the urge to kiss Sasuke every time he so much as looked at him. That could ruin their friendship entirely and Naruto didn’t know if he could be ever able to live with the knowledge that he had ruined the only ever strong bond he had had for almost eighteen years of life.

* * *

Hours had passed, the sun had already started to slowly descent towards the horizon and neither of them had uttered a word. It was a heavy silence between them that neither knew how to handle. Even Sasuke, who on any normal occasion would have been glad about it, was feeling mentally drained from the deafening lack of any sort of sound between them. It was so obvious there was something wrong and the thought that they both had no idea how to fix it only made them feel worse.

At one point Naruto reached to the radio and turned it on, probably to fill the air with something other than tension. He shuffled for a while with the stations until he stopped on something that sounded very much like Bring Me The Horizon. After that the blond reached in his pocket to pull out the cigarettes and lighter. Without a word, Sasuke let go from the steering wheel with his right hand and outstretched it towards Naruto with his palm up. He held it there until the blond had lit his cancer stick and had put one along with the lighter in the pale palm. Neither of them even glanced at one another, although they were both almost burning with the need to do so.

While the raven took advantage of the straight road to let go of the wheel entirely so he could light his own cigarette, Naruto rolled down his window. He flicked some ash outside and then let the stick rest between his lips so that he could lean down and unlace his shoes. He got his feet out of his sneakers and then put them up on the dashboard, turning his head again towards the window. One foot was moving in rhythm with What You Need, the song currently playing on the radio.

Except for the music which now filled the car, no one was uttering a words yet until a low hum could be heard besides the sound of the radio. At first Sasuke frowned but then almost smiled as he realized it was coming from Naruto who was quietly humming along with the instrumental. He hadn’t heard Naruto sing in a very long while and was almost glad that the blond had chosen that particular moment to do it again. Although he would have preferred to hear the blond actually sing, the raven decided that it was a sign that things weren’t exactly unfixable between them.

He hadn’t realized it, but a small smile had appeared on his lips as he slightly bobbed his head along with the rhythm of the song too. He decided that he liked that one. It had a nice sound to it. Not too catchy but still memorable. Although when the vocalist started to sing, Sasuke couldn’t decide if he wanted to be irritated with him or amused, so in the end he frowned. It was probably dumb luck but the song sounded so much like a hint to him about what was happening right now when you started with their conversation and then the silence… He didn’t know if he wanted to snort or turn off the radio entirely. Probably both.

Sasuke turned his head for a moment to look at Naruto, wondering if the blond also made the same connections between the song and what had happened but the blond was still just quietly humming, not giving him any sign at all. Not that he was even aware of the raven looking at him.

The road was mostly clear right now and very straight so the Uchiha wasn’t too worried about being distracted. Looking at his friend, Sasuke realized he didn’t know when he had gotten them and how, but now Naruto had sunglasses on which hid his green eyes. The strong jaw moved as he exhaled, his elbow resting on the rolled down window. The long tan neck was strained as Naruto’s head was turned to the side.

Sasuke just studied him for a short while. His lean and relaxed figure, hugged so nicely by the loose, black tank top, his long slender legs clad in the old, pale jeans, the mismatching socks that almost made him smile… Sasuke wished Naruto wasn’t with a wig because his golden hair always looked so much better in the light of this time of the day. The orange hues of the sunset always suited his skin well and highlighted his blue eyes pefectly.

For the first time Sasuke considered how good Naruto actually looked. Yeah, it hadn’t been a secret that he was good looking, but up until then, to him it had just been a mere fact. Now though he had really taken it into consideration. His best friend was fit, with enough muscle on the right places, but also very lean and in moments like these had this bad-boy vibe to him with the sunglasses, cigarette and tight jeans. But he also knew that, no matter how tough Naruto looked or acted, he could be also very vulnerable and self-conscious. He had abandonment issues and could be really self-deprecating time at a time. It was sad really. How both of them were already so emotionally damaged by the age of seventeen. Their lives were probably just beginning and yet they’d probably lived through so much shit, they could put to shame some old geezers with a fuckton of years behind their backs.

Naruto licked his lips before taking another drag of his cigarette, apparently oblivious to the way the dark blue eyes of his best friend were following his every movement.

The song ended, also bringing to an end the humming and the slight leg bobbing. Sasuke realized he had been staring for way too long. He snapped his head back to the road and tried to fight down the blush that was threatening to overtake his face. What was wrong with him? He was even smiling. Thank god the road was clear and had no holes.

He guessed that turning on the radio had really killed the most part of the tension, although he still felt a little confused about what to say or do with Naruto now. Should he just start a conversation and let the blond know that everything was okay between them. But how or about what? After what had happened some hours ago he still didn’t know what to say which was actually a little embarrassing. Sasuke really wanted to hear Naruto talk at this point, to ensure him that everything was okay and that there were no hard feelings or tension between them but he just didn’t know how to make the blond open that mouth of his now. Before he had always told him to shut up and now, when Naruto finally had, Sasuke couldn’t stop wondering how to make him start talking again. And that song…

On the other side of the car, Naruto had just thrown the butt of his cigarette out of the open window, exhaling the last drag he had taken. Earlier he had decided that he would give Sasuke his space and time to think through whatever he needed and decide on whatever he wanted. He would wait for the raven to talk to him first before talking himself because he in no way wanted to be a bother any more than he was probably turning out to be. It was bad enough that Sasuke probably felt awkward around him because of his kinda confession. He understood that the raven would talk to him when he was ready to so he didn’t push for a conversation. However, after three hours of silence only broken by the sound of the moving car, he had decided that he needed at least _some_ sound other than the constant humming of the engine and so he had turned on the radio. He was happy to hear the beginning of What You Need, one of the songs that were his favorites from the latest album of Bring Me The Horizon. He didn’t fail to see the irony in it all. How the lyrics in the beginning were so close to what was happening between them. Probably Sasuke hadn’t paid any attention to the song to notice it but whatever. It’s not like he had wished for that song to be put on or anything.

He was thankful for the distraction the music and his cigarette had provided for the last couple of minutes but now that they were both over… well a new song had already started and even if he hadn’t heard that band before, he could still enjoy it. So, without turning his head from the still open window, he changed the rhythm in which he was bobbing his head until then and continued to listen to the music. He just hoped that Sasuke would soon find whatever he was searching for inside his head and would finally talk to him again. He longed for a simple, friendly banter so much right now, it was almost unbearable.

* * *

It was nearing eight in the evening, almost two hours later when Sasuke parked the car near the entry of a town which’s name Naruto couldn’t care less about. It still wasn’t completely dark outside but it was getting there. Naruto could see the small town from where they were and the busting activity in the city streets.

After a second he turned his head to look at Sasuke, one pale eyebrow raised in question to which the raven just shrugged almost sheepishly.

“I thought we could go out and grab something to eat. We haven’t had anything since lunch,” Sasuke said quietly, almost hopefully, hardly containing his anticipation to hear Naruto talk again. He was glad when a small and very genuine smile spread on the blond’s face as his eyes softened. And then he felt even better when the blond finally answered.

“Yeah, sure. How does pizza sound?” He asked and Sasuke could only nod his head as a smile appeared on his face too, happy that apparently he still had his best friend right next to him no matter what. He didn’t have anyone else so when Naruto had been so silent it had almost felt like he wasn’t there and it was then that Sasuke had realized how dependable he really was on the blond. He had grown so accustomed to him that even five hours without him, no matter if he was physically there, had felt like how eternity of torture.

What Sasuke didn’t know was that the exact same thing was currently going through Naruto’s head, resulting in the big grin on his face as he exited the car.

* * *

“How much time do we have on the road until we reach New York?” Naruto asked in between bites and waited until Sasuke had swallowed his so he could answer. They were in a small, cozy diner a little off the city center. There were just enough people to create the warm atmosphere and provide the white noise, but not enough for the place to be crowded.

“Probably around three more hours,” He said thoughtfully. “Why?”

“I don’t know, I think we can probably get there tonight. How about you leave the driving to me? You’ve been behind the wheel for like, three days now,” The blond said, taking another bite and watching the raven expectantly.

“Alright,” Was all the Uchiha said but it was enough for Naruto and the blond grinned widely.

“Cool! I’ve been waiting to drive that baby for real since we got it,” He explained excitedly to which Sasuke rolled his eyes but smiled none the less.

Soon they were done with their food and left the money on the table. They got up and exited together, preparing to walk the short distance back to their car. The night had finally fallen but it was still very warm.

Side by side they walked on the street. There were people all around them, laughing and talking. There were families with their little kids, teens in groups, talking loudly and drinking cheap beer much like the duo did too time at a time. There were elderly people on a night walk and couples who were probably using the night to have a nice date.

“Sometimes…,” Naruto began quietly, uncharacteristically serious for him. Because of that Sasuke turned his head towards his friend to see him very deep in thought as he stared ahead of them, his hands deep in his pockets as he continued to muse out loud. “…when we are in a small city like that and I see all of these people enjoying themselves, I realize how different we really are. I mean, not even in a bad way but… They have lives of their own which could be pretty alike, but yet very different. And even though each and every life is different as in friends, family, work, kids, houses and even pets… they are all the same. It’s just the details that make the difference. But we… we had never had a specific home, never had many friends our age, never had a family except for each other… I don’t even know where I’m going with this but it just feels so strange when I know that strangers probably mentally make up for themselves lives for us when they meet us, assuming we have everything everyone else has. I think it’s kinda sad how wrong they are… Did any of this actually make any sense except for in my own head?” Naruto asked at the end, putting a grin on his face as he turned to look at Sasuke who immediately felt something tug at him. The grin was a front and it felt so wrong on the tan face when it didn’t meet the look his eyes at all. Which, by the way, also felt very wrong when they weren’t blue.

And yeah, it had made sense. Even if his thoughts had been really scattered, the point had been made and understood. And Sasuke, even though he hadn’t really thought about it that way before, could actually relate.

“Hn, don’t worry, it actually makes perfect sense. But just like we make up their lives for ourselves, using the usual stereotypes we’ve gathered about people, they do the same. It is a little sad how we are so different in such a way but I just decide to look at it a little differently.” He said and felt the blond’s questioning gaze on him, urging him to elaborate. “If it weren’t for the way our lives were when we were little, we might not have even met. And if we haven’t met, we might not have even survived up until now. I mean, you never know, right? Maybe the way things are now is for the better. And to be honest, I can hardly complain,” Sasuke explained with a small smile and felt something warm spread through him when he saw Naruto’s smile widen, this time very genuinely.

“Thanks,” The blond muttered.

He didn’t really know why he was thanking the raven actually. It was probably because he had given Sasuke the perfect opportunity to dream about a family and a normal life and instead the Uchiha had still chosen him over that, which was pretty big for Naruto when he thought about it. He was certain that if right now he had been given the opportunity to meet his real family, but had to leave Sasuke behind to be able to do that, he would choose to stay with Sasuke. After all, these parents were the ones to leave him behind and Sasuke had never done anything like that and had actually been there for him throughout his whole life no matter what happened around or between them. So, blood or not, Sasuke was his actual family.

Okay, so he probably knew why he was thanking him after all.

He felt again that pull towards the raven. But this time it was more like the urge to hug him. It wasn’t his looks right now that he felt attracted to but his mind. The raven rarely talked so much if it wasn’t needed and it was even rarer for him to say something so nice, optimistic even. Which actually made that statement all the more endearing.

He had no doubt he was the only one who had ever seen that rare, soft side of Sasuke’s and he couldn’t help but feel a little special because of that. And also a little angry that their lives had turned out to be the way they are. Sasuke was such an amazing person and he was also so smart, no doubt he would have been amazing in school and then great in life. Probably very successful too.

He felt warm inside, knowing that this smart and amazing human being was his best friend. And even if there wasn’t chance that they could ever be more than just friends…

“You know, I’m actually pretty beat. What do you say we get these three hours tomorrow?” Naruto asked, changing the subject to something lighter, not daring to finish his previous thought even in his own head.

“You’re driving anyway so it’s all the same to me,” Sasuke shrugged.

“Sleep it is then. I’m probably still a little hangover or something because never before have I imagined that I’ll need to go to bed at nine in the evening after waking up at one,” He laughed.

* * *

A tall, dark figure was standing calmly against a three, his sharp eyes were studying closely every person who walked by.

They had decided it was better to meet in the evening after Minato, Kushina and Mikoto had gotten in the city and after Kakashi had finished work. They hadn’t seen each other ever since these three had taken a break for an undisclosed amount of time. They had been gone for over half a year now and just last night did Kakashi finally find out what it was all about.

He smirked slightly. Figures their kids would be so much like them. And talking about them, the park in which he was waiting for the trio was in Lewistown. The place these two brats had been last seen. Or at least that’s what Shikamaru had gathered when he had broken into the police department’s system. Every call since then was either false or not checked yet except for this one.

The silver-haired man had little doubt that the boys hadn’t left already. It was clear from the files Shikamaru had managed to download that they were smart. Smarter than the police, smarter than the Child Services System, smarter than the heads of the Minnesota Juvenile Center and smart enough to successfully keep themselves hidden. So really, after all that was said, no one thought they would still be there. But that was their most fresh and reliable lead so here Kakashi was, waiting calmly as he leaned against a tall three.

Finally the people he was waiting for appeared at the entry of the alley he was watching and he stood there unmoving until they approached him.

“Wow, you’re not actually late!” Kushina said with a grin. “Whatever happened in these past seven months?” She laughed.

On any other occasion Kakashi would have most probably been late but here they were talking about the children of his close friends, one of whom had also been his teacher. It was a very important matter as much to him as it was to the parents.

They walked to a bench a little off the main alley where not many people passed and Kakashi was the first to sit down.

“So, how do you lose two underage brats so often?” He returned the jab, looking at Kushina with a smirk for which she just scowled at him and looked away with her arms crossed over her chest.

Minato chuckled at his wife’s behavior and sat down next to Kakashi.

“What did you find?” He asked and all faces turned serious in the matter of seconds. Let’s just say that they were trained that way. They didn’t have much time for catching up right now and even less for teasing.

“From what Shikamaru was able to tell me they’ve been here just three days ago. We only have theories about where they could be headed to. One is that they continued south from Minnesota because they would want to get as far away as possible. That, of course, is the first and most obvious one so it’s doubtful they’ve chosen that plan of action if what I read about them is all true. My second theory, the one that seems more likely to me, is that they are still somewhere in the northern states.” He glanced around the faces of his friends and saw them all nod in understanding so he continued. “They’re probably headed to a big city, somewhere they could easily blend in, but of course, they also have to be not too close to the place they escaped from because the police would be more focused on them there. So my guess is that everything which is more than two states away from Minnesota is a possibility.” He finished, putting his elbows on his knees.

“Is there any way to narrow that down some more? ‘Two states away from Minnesota’ is a little too wide of a radius.” Mikoto said.

“Yeah, it would take us way too much time to check all of them. And considering they’ve probably found a way to go unnoticed around all of the cops searching for them, I’m thinking they might not be using their real names anymore,” Kushina said, her eyes filled with worry. She didn’t think she had enough patience to search so long for them in such an undescribed range. That left way too much room to lose them completely again.

“Shikamaru is still working on getting the footage of the street cameras from the past week. When he does get them, which should be around tomorrow morning I guess, we hope we’ll be able to trace which city exit they used to get out. We have a basic description of their car but it’s nowhere near exact so it will take time.” He said.

“So we should probably stay here for a little while,” Minato said as if finishing his student’s thoughts. Kushina opened her mouth as if to protest about needing to stay there and do nothing, when suddenly a phone went off. With a frown Kakashi pulled out the device from his pocket. He almost rolled his eyes when he realized it was his work cell.

“Yes,” He said sharply into the speaker. Silence followed and the silver-haired male scowled but soon after his eyes widened. “I’ll be there as soon as possible,” He said and quickly closed his phone, getting up from the bench.

He immediately felt three questioning gazes on him and almost smiled as he told them what the call was all about.

“Shika got the footage earlier than expected,” He announced nonchalantly and put his hands in his pockets, but before any of them could say anything, he continued. “You can come with me if you’d like,” He said and turned towards the way he had come from. Almost immediately three pairs of footsteps followed him.

* * *

They were just two minutes away from their car when Naruto started humming quietly to himself, probably without even realizing it. That made Sasuke brake out of his thoughts. It took the raven a little while but he recognized the song as the first one they had listened to in the car earlier and he scowled. For some reason that one really bothered him. It was just too close to home when he thought about it. The way the vocalist sounded so resigned about not being able to help someone look at things a little differently because they had already 'made up their mind', 'stuck in their way' and refusing to 'see the signs' because they were 'blind' and wanted the easy way out instead of risking it and possibly 'making mistakes'. The raven was well aware that the song was most probably about drug addiction but still, lyrics were just words and you could interpret them differently depending on the circumstances around you, and wasn’t that the whole point to music anyway? Which yet again led him to almost laughing bitterly at how he was doing pretty much the same thing as the person about whom Oliver Sykes was singing. 

Could it be that he was wrong in the way he had reacted earlier in the car? He was so taken aback by what Naruto had said that his defenses had shot up to the skies in the matter of seconds. Not to mention they were talking about something way beyond friendly that had happened between them and that wasn’t something Sasuke took lightly.

But then again, Naruto pretty much knew that, right? He knew how much Sasuke was bothered by these kinds of stuff and he even knew the reason behind it. But after everything that had ever happened, no matter how badly he handled some of that stuff, Naruto had always been there and had never faulted him about it. So that was proof he understood what was going on in Sasuke’s head pretty well.

And then of course, now that Sasuke had the calm to think a little more clearly, he didn’t think Naruto could ever be the kind of person to use him like he had earlier thought the blond would. So really, what was so bad about kissing the blond if they both wanted it and liked it so much? And when they were both sure that they would always choose each other at the end of the day then would it really be so bad to be together as in being more than friends?

Sasuke didn’t know what had taken over him but the thought that a relationship could complicate things between them in the end didn’t bother him that much. Like, who even said that it would have to end? As it turns out, as embarrassing as it was to admit it, Naruto was so far the only person he’d ever been attracted to this past year. And they both had only each other at the moment so really, right then, to the raven it seemed like a relationship would actually bring to the table more benefits than complications.

Naruto also wasn’t one to take those kinds of things lightly even if he had the tendency to not really think through what he did sometimes. No matter if he acted recklessly, the blond was smart so if he had thought that a relationship between them had the potential to work, no matter their emotional baggage, pasts and problems, then why not try it?

And apparently, when Sasuke had some time to think about it, he reached to the same conclusion so then what was stopping them from at least trying? It was more than obvious that they were attracted to each other. Many people had even though they were already a couple. And they had kissed before and both had rather liked it, no matter the fact that they were drunk all of those times it had happened. If Deidara was right then that actually made it all the more honest.

Sasuke suddenly wondered if it would feel any different to kiss Naruto when they were sober. When they wouldn’t be so sloppy and were quite a bit more focused…

“Sasuke!” Naruto almost shouted, breaking the raven out of his thoughts as he was waving his hand in front of the pale face. He didn’t know what had happened taken over his friend but he had suddenly zoned out and was apparently very deep in his head because Naruto had to shout his name four times until the dark blue eyes finally focused again and found his face.

At first the Uchiha seemed almost surprised to see the blond there in front of him. His look of a deer in the headlight lasted quite shortly though, and soon his gaze morphed into something so different, Naruto didn't think he could even name it so because of that he decided to ignore it. Sasuke was most probably just irritated or something.

“Either unlock the car or give me the keys. I want to take off these lenses already,” Naruto said.

It took the raven a second but he finally registered what the blond had said and pulled out the keys from his back pocket. He opened the car and reached for the glove department to pull out the containers and sterilizer for the contacts.

After they were free from them and Naruto’s wig, Sasuke closed the door again and locked it.

It was something of an unspoken rule that they slept on the back of the pickup so Naruto turned to make his way towards it only to realize Sasuke had put his hand on hood of the car, effectively trapping the blond from moving any further in that direction.

Naruto turned his head to give Sasuke a confused look, one eyebrow pulled up in question. That expression quickly fell though when he was once again taken aback by the intensity with which these now obsidian eyes were looking at him.  It was the same look he had seen on Sasuke’s face not a minute ago but this time he couldn’t write it off as irritation. There was so much more behind it. And these eyes…They were so much more compelling and expressive when they were their natural color again.

Before the blond could say anything Sasuke was already leaning down and soon had pressed his lips on Naruto’s, completely erasing any doubts he might have still had in his own mind. Naruto hadn’t pushed him back and had even closed his eyes so Sasuke soon grew bolder. He had been a little uncertain at first about what he was doing but all that was gone now when he realized that the blond was actually enjoying this.

Inside Naruto’s head it was like a storm had suddenly erupted. His thoughts were flying everywhere, scattered and chaotic, and he couldn’t catch not one of them, let alone be able to finis it. What was going on? They hadn’t had any alcohol, right? Why was Sasuke kissing him? What…

But when Sasuke started moving his lips, there were no more raging thoughts in Naruto’s mind because it had been wiped completely clean. Soon he began returning the kiss but neither of them deepened it. They just enjoyed the feeling of the other’s lips moving in sync against their own.

After a while the raven pulled back just barely and he looked at Naruto in the eyes, his gaze searching the blue orbs and the blond realized he was probably waiting for some sort of a reaction. Although he was in such a daze after that kiss that he had to take a moment to form a proper sentence in his head before managing to react in any way at all.

“I thought you said this was a mistake?” Naruto asked seriously. He really wanted to know what had taken over Sasuke and made him do that not even a couple of hours after he had told the blond it would never happen again.

“Then I guess that’s a mistake I’m willing to make,” He answered just as seriously and that was the closest to a confession Naruto would ever get. At least for now. And in all honesty, it was more than enough for the blond.

He smiled brightly at Sasuke, relaxing his body which he hadn’t even realized had gone stiff while waiting for Sasuke’s response. His blue eyes were now dancing with amusement.

“So I see you’ve come to the master of mistakes, hmm?” He asked and pulled up a brow, his smile morphing in a grin as Sasuke rolled his.

“I guess you’re contagious,” He said with a smirk and without waiting for Naruto to answer, he leaned down again for another kiss.

This time there was no hesitation on either party, not at first and not entirely. They both moved their lips confidently against one another’s until the Uchiha swept his tongue over Naruto’s bottom lip, asking for entrance which was granted to him in the matter of a second.

At some point someone moaned into the kiss but they were both too absorbed in it to care who it had been. After some time they had to pull away for air and Naruto realized his hands were buried in the black locks on the back of Sasuke’s head. He had been so entranced he wasn’t even sure when it had happened. Although the Uchiha didn’t seem to mind it all that much anyway.

Blue eyes looked up to meet black again and they turned serious once more, studying the deep obsidian eyes of his friend.

“Sasuke, are you really sure about this?” He asked, searching the raven's eyes for the smallest of hesitation but he saw only determination and a small bit of annoyance because of the question.

“Idiot, you think I would’ve done that if I wasn’t?” He asked, looking at Naruto pointedly as he purposely licked his lips to draw attention to them and then smirked when the blue eyes were immediately latched onto them.

Naruto was a little at a loss. He had asked that because he knew Sasuke and how much he could freak out about these kinds of things and he didn’t want the raven to be forcing himself into it. Of course, the moment this had gone through his head, Naruto realized how absurd it was. Sasuke knew that the blond understood him, he wouldn’t do that just to please Naruto. Farther more, Naruto would know within seconds if it had been done from pity. This… this had been way too real to be something like that. And also, Sasuke just didn’t do pity.

So in the end Naruto was more than happy with the answer he received.

“Guess not,” Naruto said quietly and this time it was him who initiated the kiss. He had let Sasuke take control over the last two but that was as far as his competitive nature would let him go.

At some point they moved to the back of the pickup and it was quite some time before they went to sleep.

That night they talked, made out, then they had talked some more while gazing at the stars and then made out again. They were both aware that their relationship had shifted. Not by much, and it would be barely noticeable for an outsider if at all. But they both felt it. It just felt different than before. And also a little strange but in a good way. It was new and exciting to know that they didn’t have to classify it as weird every time they thought of the other as attractive or wanted to kiss them. They didn’t have to hide it and berate themselves for it. Instead they could freely act on it now that they had let go of their doubts and worries about what a relationship between them would lead to.

They didn’t dare put a label on their relationship yet. Both were new and mostly inexperienced in that field but then again, they had always been fast learners.

That night Sasuke had fallen asleep first and Naruto had felt his heart tighten at the sight of the peaceful, sleeping form in his arms. He had realized then how fragile and vulnerable Sasuke could be feeling for doing this. He realized that he had been just as uncertain as Naruto about this, if not even more. He also realized that Sasuke would be the one to suffer the most if this fell apart. He hardly trusted anyone as it was, Naruto didn’t want to be the one to ruin his ability to trust people completely after he had tried to put himself out for the only person he had thought he could count on. He didn’t want to be the one to do any more damage than was already done and he certainly wouldn't let anyone else to even try. If anything, all he wanted was to see Sasuke happy with the way things were around and between them.

The blond didn’t fall asleep for a while. His arms had tightened their hold on the pale form as he had made the important decision to protect Sasuke and do whatever he could so that one day he could see the raven and himself happy and without a care in the world. He would protect this bond at all costs, no matter what it was or what it turned into.

Even when he finally fell asleep, Naruto’s hold on Sasuke stayed as tight and secure as in the beginning. He just didn’t want to ever let go of that person.

* * *

 **A/N:** And that was the long overdue chapter. I really hope you liked it. Keep in mind that I am my own beta so it's only normal I make a few mistakes here and there.

Love ya all for reading and let's pray together that I update the next chapter on time.


	12. New Beginings

**A/N:** Ookay, I know that this is _waaay_ overdue and I'm really sorry about that, but hey, at least I'm back? Once again, really sorry about the unexpected hiatus I had to take but this summer I've been working two full-time jobs and had little to no time for myself, let alone to write. And on the rare occasions that I had time to write, I was running so low on sleep that I doubted anything productive would have come out either way. But anyway, the school year started once again so now I have more time to write so (hopefully) this won't happen again. And on the plus side, I came up with a couple of really nice fic ideas (or at least if you ask me) so this story is far from the last I will write.

Okay, enough with the note that probably no one even reads and on to the 12th chapter!

* * *

 

It was around midnight when two cars parked in the underground parking lot of a tall, corporate building. Four people exited the cars, their steps echoing as they made their way towards the elevator through the silent, almost vacant parking lot.

Once safely behind the bulletproof metal doors, Kakashi pushed the number sixteen and then leaned on the wall behind him. The three hour drive from here to Lewistown and then back had taken its toll on him. But he also realized he had no right to complain when he took a look at the three people with him.

Their bodies were stiff with tension and their features were strained. Dark circles had started to appear underneath their eyes too and they haven’t even begun the actual work yet. Kakashi knew he would be fighting a losing battle if he tried to convince them to take a break and sleep now. His friends might be exhausted but they were also very stubborn. They wouldn’t be able to rest fully until they’ve found at least in which direction they should go so they could get to their children.

“I need a really strong cup of coffee,” Kushina said, stifling a yawn and closing her eyes for a second. “Actually, make it a pot,” She said and threw her long, red strands over her shoulder, focusing her eyes once again on the doors in front of her.

There were series of nods and grunts in agreement and soon the doors to the elevator opened, letting its occupants exit before closing again.

Kakashi once again took it upon himself to lead the way, seeing as the other three hadn’t yet been in the Aurora headquarters. Their agency was big and had many branches around the states and some other countries like Russia, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, France, England, Spain, India and many more. There was little to no surprise in that they hadn’t been here yet. Truth be told, Kakashi also hadn’t worked here much except for his last mission for which he had a partner from that branch. That was also when he had met Shikamaru.

The silver-haired man led them through the hallways for a couple of minutes, taking some turns here and there until they reached a big wooden door. There was a plate on it with a name which read ‘Shikamaru Nara’. So far the newcomers had only heard of this mysterious genius who had a lot of say in the plans of many major operations recently and was also a master in hacking. The last name kinda gave away the mystery as to how this man was so smart, but still.

Kakashi grabbed the handle of the door and pushed it open, revealing a big room half of which was taken by many screens, machines and computers. The other side of it looked more like lounge area with a big TV, something that looked like a small kitchen, and a coffee table placed in front of two big, leather sofas. On one of the sofas was peacefully lying and apparently sleeping a boy which looked to be somewhere in his mid-twenties. His shaggy brown hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail on top of his head.

“How old is he?” Mikoto asked in a whisper, apparently careful not to wake up the boy.

“Nineteen,” The boy himself answered, not even opening his eyes to regard his guests. “Shikamaru Nara, nice to meet you,” He said lazily as if he ansered more from obligation than anything else.

“Honey, it would be nice to meet you officially and all that, but that would have to wait until I’ve had some decent amount of caffeine,” Kushina said sweetly and walked right past the sofa on which Shikamaru was still lying and going straight for the coffee machine. That at least made him crack one eye open to study the faces of the new people who had entered his working place. His interest was obviously piqued.

Kakashi had already made himself at home, sitting on the other sofa and resting his head back, his eyes closed and his feet on the coffee table.

“Are you somehow related to Shikaku Nara?” Minato asked while taking a seat next to Kakashi.

“He’s my father,” The boy answered and finally pulled up himself to a sitting position. His eyes found the blond man who was looking at him with…surprise? But before he had the chance to ask why, a light bulb went off in his head.

“Minato Namikaze,” He said slowly and a small smirk appeared on his face. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you,” He told the man. He had seen him in many of the albums at home, next to his father or with some other relatives. Even if he hadn’t met the man in person, he had heard so much about him from his dad and from Kakashi that he almost felt like he already knew him. “It’s nice to finally meet you,”

“I can say the same about you. Although now I can remember seeing you as a baby, that was a long time ago. It’s no wonder you’ve taken after you’re father’s line of work though. From what I hear, you could be even able to surpass the infamous Shikaku one day.” Minato said with a warm smile.

“Yeah, well, today we’re here because someone else’s brats could be also surpassing their parents in fields like undercover work and cop evading,” Kakashi said with a smirk and looked at Shikamaru. “How about you tell us what that big head of yours was able to figure out?” Kakashi asked with that same small smirk.

The two women made their way back to the sofas with a tray of steaming cups, placing one in front of everyone. Kakashi received also a kick to his feet so he would put them down, a smack over the head from Kushina and a glare from Mikoto because of his comment about their ‘brats’ being uncatchable.

“I said I need coffee first,” Kushina said and sat down heavily on the sofa with a pout. “We’ll get down to work after that,” She added firmly.

“You’re Kushina, right?” The brunet asked, looking with amusement at the redhead who was still playfully glaring at Kakashi. She turned her head to look at him and her face immediately changed to a warm smile.

“How did you know?” She asked sweetly before taking a small sip from her cup.

“I’ve seen you in some pictures at home,” He explained with a shrug and reached for his coffee too. “Dad used to tell me storied about Minato and you time at a time. He told me about missions you’ve had together or under his instructions. If your kids are anything like you, then there’s no wonder they’ve managed to evade you and the cops for so long,” He mused out loud.

“Well, I’m as proud of them as I am pissed about all that,” She said with a chuckle. “So, how’s your dad doing, I heard a while ago that he was thinking of retiring?” She asked.

“He’s fine, still working. Seems like he just can’t leave all this behind,” The brunet said with a shrug.

“Frankly,” Minato started, staring through the windows in the huge room and into the night. “I also don’t know if I’ll be able to leave all that behind one day, even if I know that the time has probably come. No matter how many years I do what I do, the thrill is still there, still the same,” He explained and took a sip from his coffee, a small wistful smile on his lips.

“Yeah,” Mikoto agreed. “Do you think maybe one day Sasuke and Naruto would like to join the organization too?” She asked, looking at Kushina with a big smile. They’ve both imagined what it would be like to have missions together with their sons.

“I don’t know, but they’d be damn good at it from what I’ve heard so far,” Shikamaru said with a smirk. It seemed like this new generation was all built of people determined to best their parents in any way they could. And if Naruto and Sasuke decided to join one day, well, Shikamaru couldn’t decide if he would be thrilled or annoyed to work with them.

“Well, to find out that, we need to get a hold of them first so how about we get to that?” Kakashi said, drinking the last remains of his coffee and putting the cup on the table. This time there was no playfulness in his voice and all of the people in the room understood quite clearly that small talk wouldn’t help them in any way with what they were doing. There would be always time for that after everything was solved out.

“Okay,” Shikamaru got up from the sofa and suddenly the laziness was gone from his eyes, replaced by a sharpness which spoke of a razor mind. “It was such a drag but I finally managed to get all of the footage of every camera in Lewistown from the dates first to the third of July,” He explained while crossing the room and sitting on his chair in front of a big screen. “It would probably take us some time to sort through all of it, especially when I need to zoom in on every car and face and then clear the picture so we’d be able to recognize them,” He turned on the huge monitor and on the screen appeared an opened folder, full of documents. “Although,” He continued, turning in his chair to look at the four people who had already followed him to his computer. “We don’t know yet why they were there but seeing as that was apparently their first real stop since they have escaped, it might have been to change looks and identities, which means its possible to take us even more time because it would be harder to recognize them.”

There was collective nodding and all of the still standing adults found themselves a chair each and dragged it to the computer area, sitting comfortably in preparation for the long night ahead of them. With a small sigh Shikamaru opened the first file and the view of a large street came up. In one of the corners there was a date and time which was rapidly changing.

* * *

 

Naruto and Sasuke had awoken earlier than the day before, but of course, the previous night they hadn’t had any alcohol and neither had they gone to sleep so late. Around nine in the morning they were already on the road, the blond happily singing alongside the radio while driving. By that time Sasuke had still been a little grumpy, just like he was every morning, though this day his bad mood wasn’t actually as bad and had passed just after half an hour.

It hadn’t been awkward in the morning much to their surprise. Maybe both of them had subconsciously thought that the other would go back on their words form the night before but except for Sasuke, who had stiffened up a little when he had woken up in Naruto’s embrace, there was nothing else to suggest either of them were uncomfortable about what had happened. In the end they had acted like they always did. They argued for a little while, threw some insults which kinda lacked the bite, Naruto laughed, Sasuke glared… nothing out of the ordinary. Well maybe except for the kissing afterwards but they were both getting accustomed to it very fast.

“Okay, what’s the plan for when we reach New York?” Naruto asked after the song he was singing to ended. Sasuke reached to turn down the volume of the radio a little so they could talk.

“We’ll need to find jobs first, before we do anything else,” The raven said matter-of-factly.

“Well yeah, I know that, but it’s not like we’re gonna walk in the city and immediately be given jobs. I’m talking about _how_ are we going to get these jobs? And we should maybe think about what jobs we’ll be searching for exactly,” Naruto elaborated.

“I suggest we buy some newspapers first thing when we get there. There’s usually a whole page in them about places searching for workers. And seeing how we don’t have education, there aren’t a lot of jobs to choose from. Maybe waiters or cashiers, I don’t know, we can’t be picky” Sasuke said.

Naruto nodded his head absentmindedly, a small frown appearing on his face. Neither of them had worked before and he was kinda worried that without having experience there wouldn’t be many willing to hire them. And farther more, they had to be searching for places that wanted two people because they basically lived in their car and couldn’t work on opposite sides of the city. They couldn’t afford to waste money on buses or cards for the metro, at least not before their first salary. And on the off chance that they ended up working in different places, they would have to be very near each other.

He wasn’t too worried about the police finding them. These overconfident cops had had it hard enough some time ago when Naruto and Sasuke weren’t even trying to hide themselves that much. Now they were using new identities and didn’t look much like the photos the police had so that was a minor problem now.

“We would be searching for places where we can work together, right?” Naruto asked, not pealing his eyes away from the road.

“So far that’s the plan. It would be easier to keep an eye on you that way,” Sasuke finished with a smirk.

“Tch, jerk. I just think that this way it would be easier for us, I’m not some baby,” Naruto grumbled. He knew that Sasuke was only half-joking about what he had said.

“You certainly act like one often enough,” The raven answered casually while rolling down his window some more. Then he started patting his pockets for the pack of cigarettes and the lighter.

“So what, you’re a pedophile now?” Naruto shot back with a smirk and saw from the corner of his eyes that Sasuke stopped all movement for a second.

“Who said anything about me wanting to be with you?” Sasuke asked, pulling his eyebrow up and looking for all he was worth serious. Too bad he sucked as an actor. Or just Naruto knew him all too well because he didn’t buy that act for even a second. Not like he was over-confident or cocky but it was rather obvious that Sasuke never did things he didn’t like. And therefor, he wouldn’t have ever kissed Naruto if he hadn’t wanted it, so really, who was the raven trying to fool here?

“You want me to remind you of all the times you’ve already shoved your tongue down my throat?” Naruto asked with amusement. “Or about what you told me you remembered happened at Deidara’s?” The blond turned his head to give his best friend a pointed look, this time it was his turn to pull an eyebrow up in amusement.

He saw Sasuke blush at first and then roll his eyes, trying to cover up his embarrassment with irritation.

“Moron,” He muttered. “You’re as much to blame here as I am,” he added, finally pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

“I know, but at least I am not trying to deny that I am attracted to you,” He said calmly, as if what he had just said didn’t matter at all. And maybe to the blond it didn’t but Sasuke had felt something tighten in his chest after hearing that. Not like he was going to admit it but it was kinda strange. He had heard these words a lot before from many different people, some have gone as far as making love confessions, saying whatever bullshit they came up with, just to get to Sasuke in some way. But as much as people have told him that they were attracted to him, it had never been said in such a way. Naruto obviously didn’t expect anything in return after saying that. He had just told Sasuke the truth, not trying to hide it but he hadn’t sugar-coated it too. He had just said it how he felt it and that was something Sasuke appreciated a lot more than he was ready to admit.

“So you just like me for my looks, huh?” The raven asked with a smirk, dismissing all of what he was thinking up until then and deciding to keep the lightness of the conversation.

The blond couldn’t see the smirk because Sasuke was looking out of his window and Naruto had a road before him to look at but he still heard the joke behind those words.

“Pft, what, you thought your personality would be what I see in you?” Naruto snorted with amusement. “I am certainly exactly like all those little girls trying to attach themselves to your hip, or haven’t you noticed?” Naruto asked with a grin.

“Tch, idiot,” Sasuke said, shaking his head a little. He turned to look at the blond with a rarely genuine smile. It lit his features, making him look a lot younger than he really was, a lot more pure. His eyes were latched onto the tan face which was also grinning. Truth be told, Sasuke was happy. Happy with the way things were going for them lately and also how they were between them. In moments like these, rare as they were, when they were both smiling and laughing, Sasuke realized how lucky they were to have found each other. God only knew what could have happened to them if they hadn’t met almost fourteen years ago in that godforsaken orphanage.

“What? Is there something on my face?” Naruto asked mockingly, wiggling his brow at the raven, who refused to blush at being caught staring and instead he rolled his eyes.

“Shut up,” He muttered, taking another drag from his cigarette.

“Give me that cigarette, I want a drag,” Naruto said, reaching his hand out to take it. Sasuke gave it to him, ignoring the warmth that spread though him when their fingers touched. Before it hadn’t been like that at all. They have practically lived together for all of their lives but he guessed that it was because of this new development between them which made his brain have all those weird thoughts about everything concerning Naruto now.

Like the way his full lips closed around the stick and the way his jaw moved while he was taking that drag he had requested. Sasuke had seen that many, many times before but now it was strangely fascinating for him to watch the strong, tan jaw move as the blond exhaled…

Yup, Sasuke was probably neck deep already but he’d be damned if he admitted that even to himself.

Taking one last drag form the cigarettes, Naruto returned it to Sasuke, not noticing how glazed the dark eyes had become.

“Hey Sasuke, how about we play a game?” Naruto asked after exhaling the smoke, a big grin plastered on his face. By the time Naruto had finished his question Sasuke had managed to get out of his daze. He took a second to process the question, having heard only the last two words but then he rolled his eyes when he finally pieced it together.

“Guess I really am a pedophile,” The raven muttered to himself, taking a drag from his smoke and trying for all he was worth to ignore the tingling feeling on his lips that was brought by the knowledge that the stick had been between Naruto’s not two seconds ago.

He was probably getting soft because a minute later, Sasuke found himself indulging in, and even enjoying the game Naruto had wanted to play.

* * *

It was around one in the afternoon when Naruto and Sasuke finally reached the big city. They had to slow down when they finally got to the wide, crowded streets of New York but they didn’t really mind because being finally there was enough to put them in a lasting good mood. First and former they had to pick a neighborhood in which to reside before going to search for whatever jobs they might apply to. They needed a place where it wouldn’t be too obvious or alarming if two teens were living in their car so technically they needed to go in some rundown neighborhood and stay there until they’ve found jobs and then wait some more until they get their first salaries and could afford to rent some small apartment or studio to live in.

They still had some good amount of money on them. It didn’t look like it was enough to get them through to the time when they would get money from a legitimated source but they’ve always been underestimated so they’d probably make it out just fine this time too.

Once again they were both very glad it was summer. Actually, that was one of the reasons they’ve waited for so long before escaping the juvenile center. They needed good weather ahead of them so it would be as easy for them to survive as possible. They had been ready to escape by the middle of April but have waited until the end of June just because of that.

Knowing that they needed to buy newspapers, Naruto had gone to the first shop he had seen. The small shops most often than not had newspaper stands so Naruto had parked the car in front of the first one he’d seen but because it was a no parking area he had to wait in the car for Sasuke to buy the papers by himself. When he got back in the car, the raven also brought some food with him seeing as they haven’t eaten since the night before.

Then, after getting what they needed, Naruto and Sasuke had to circle for about forty minutes some of the neighborhoods which looked like they fit the bill for what they were searching for. In the end Naruto just chose one at random and parked the car between two not very tall buildings which have definitely seen better days.

“Well, so far so good,” Naruto said with a smile while opening the wrapper of his sandwich.

“Hn, I just hope we’re able to find jobs in a couple of days. We both seriously need a shower and also a relatively soft bed would be a very nice thing right now,” The raven said and then took a bite from his lunch.

“Yeah, same here. I don’t think my back has ever been that stiff before,” Naruto said, rolling his shoulders and neck for emphasis. A small grimace appeared on his face when he felt and heard a few joints pop.

“I say we should find a cheap hotel so we can take showers and sleep on beds for at least one night. We’ll be going to search for jobs tomorrow, we can’t smell like some junkies,” Sasuke said, scrunching up his nose in detest.

“I second that,” Naruto said then stuffed the last of his lunch in his mouth and there was a moment of silence while the blond was chewing. “I don’t even need hot water in this weather, just some soap and shampoo because today’s the fourth day after my shower at Deidara’s,” He added after swallowing. “Oh, and we’ll also need to wash our clothes because we’re almost out of clean ones” 

Sasuke just nodded, putting in his mouth the last of his food and bunching up the wrapper which he threw outside the car. Tonight they’d probably spend more money than it was completely necessary, but at the same time, they couldn’t go searching for jobs all grumpy and smelly with stains on their clothes and knots in their hairs.

“Okay, let’s go to the back,” The raven said, grabbing all of the newspapers from where he had placed them on the dash and exiting the car. Naruto followed his example and went out of the car too, wondering why Sasuke sounded like there was something wrong. An hour ago everything had been fine but then Sasuke had gone quiet for a while and Naruto hadn’t thought much about it at first. That wasn’t unusual but now he seemed very lost in his head and it looked like there was something bothering him.

Which was kinda strange. Shouldn’t he be happy with the way things were going for them right now? They’ve finally reached their destination and just tomorrow were going to start their search for jobs. Very soon they’d be new people who had gotten their money honestly. They could start saving after they’d found themselves somewhere to live and maybe even get an education one day. Before they had always thought about as far as tomorrow went but this… This was their first step to their future.

So then, what was wrong?

Sasuke had stopped just before he was about to get up on the back of the pickup because Naruto had stopped too, a dazed expression on his face and a frown between his pale brows. He would have probably asked the blond what was wrong but it seemed like Naruto had finally shaken himself out of his daze, and being the way he was, he was the first to speak.

“Hey, Sasuke?” He asked, lifting his gaze to look at the raven as if trying to read his mind. Instead of answering Sasuke had just raised a perfect, dark eyebrow but Naruto didn’t say anything further and just took a small step forward. Then another one until he was a breath away from Sasuke’s face, irritatingly green eyes locked with uncharacteristically dark blue ones, never once breaking eye contact.

It almost seemed like Naruto was waiting for Sasuke to take a step back. As if he was giving him the option to push Naruto away.

“What are you…?” But Sasuke didn’t get to finish his question, because right then Naruto leaned forward, closing the distance between them by putting his hand in Sasuke’s hair and his lips over the pale ones.

At first neither of them moved, Naruto waiting for a reaction while Sasuke had been taken by surprise with that move. The surprise quickly faded though and the raven began to move his lips over Naruto’s. And it was after that when the blond was more than eager to return the kiss he himself had initiated. Moments passed and they were still kissing but neither of them minded the kiss which had been deepened some time ago. And although they both felt like they could stay like that forever, very soon their actions had to be brought to an end because they were both beginning to feel the burning need for air in their lungs.

“What was that for?” Sasuke asked after pulling back. He was still a little breathless and his lips were red and swollen.

Naruto just shrugged in response, staring in Sasuke’s frustratingly blue eyes as if still searching for something. He realized his hands were locked around Sasuke’s neck and also became aware of a hand on his waist and one caressing his cheek.

“Just felt like it I guess,” Naruto said with a small smile and Sasuke nodded his head in understanding, his features softening. He moved the hand that was on Naruto’s cheek to the blond’s chin and held it still with two fingers until he placed a small peck on the blond’s forehead. Then he dropped his hands to his sides all at once and finally moved up on the pickup, Naruto following him suit. A small smile was tugging at the corner of his lips because of that one last affectionate gesture on Sasuke’s part.

They made themselves comfortable on the hard surface of the pickup and each of them grabbed a newspaper, spreading the papers in front of them and getting to work. The air between them was noticeably different than before but they both liked very much the changes in their relationship.

* * *

It was almost noon when Kakashi exited the building and went into the parking lot, three people following behind him. They were all dead on their feet and even despite that, it had been a challenge to make them stop for a while so they could all get some much needed rest. The whole night, and then the morning up until noon, they have spent in front of the monitors, going through footage after footage and finding nothing. They were almost done with the western exit of Lewistown though, but still. They couldn’t keep on living of caffeine and cheap sandwiches from the cafeteria.

Shikamaru had been almost asleep by the time they decided they should take a brake and the genius hadn’t even waited for the people in his office to exit before he had dragged himself to the sofa on which he had been lying earlier and fell on it, apparently asleep the moment he had put his head on the armrest.

They had ordered breakfast in the morning so at least they were all fed and could go immediately to Kakashi’s place and sleep for a couple of hours without any disruptions.

They left Minato’s car in the parking lot and only took Kakashi’s, seeing as the younger men was the one who had to drive anyway. The ride was fairly silent, the two women barely keeping themselves awake on the back seat. The silver-haired man thought it was a miracle in itself that he was even able to drive without falling asleep before he could get to the apartment building he lived in.

The ride had been short, barely fifteen minutes, but sleep deprived as they all were, it had felt like so much longer.

Exiting the car, they all dragged their feet to the front entrance of the building and then to the elevator.  It wasn’t even ten minutes later when Kakashi had already spread the sofa, turning it into a double bed where Kushina and Minato would sleep. He had sent Mikoto to the guestroom and finally he was ready to fall down on his bed and sleep too. He quickly closed the blinds in his bedroom and fell on his huge, warm bed, not even bothering to take off his clothes. His pillow had never before felt as comfortable as it did in that exact moment.

* * *

After many hours of staring at small fonts, addresses, telephone numbers, reading through requirements and circling many different places they could go to, Naruto and Sasuke were both ready to call it a night.

They both had long ago taken off their contacts because their eyes had started to burn after an hour of going through the papers.

“Man, I’m so beat you can’t even imagine,” Naruto said with a groan. Dusk had finally started to fall and he was somewhat thankful because that meant no more reading newspapers.

“Yeah, it’s not like I did pretty much the same as you this whole time, there’s no way I could know what it feels like,” Sasuke said evenly and let himself fall back so now he was laying down.

“Shut up, Mr. Smartass,” Naruto said through a yawn. He slid down until he was lying on his side too, staring up at Sasuke’s finally black eyes again and the raven just stared back for a couple of moments.

Then Sasuke suddenly reached out and pushed Naruto’s wig off. He then buried his hand in thick, blond locks and began massaging Naruto’s scalp.

The blond couldn’t help but sigh at the treatment. It felt so nice and soothing that he was almost ready to fall asleep right then and there. But no, he couldn’t do that right now. They had to find a hotel and wash themselves and then wash their clothes and… Damn that felt like such a shit ton of work right now.

He reached up and grabbed Sasuke’s hand by the wrist, stopping its movement.

“If you continue I’ll probably fall asleep,” He explained. He didn’t know when he had closed his eyes but even without opening them he could tell that Sasuke had pulled up a brow, probably in amusement.

“I’ll drive then,” Sasuke said simply and moved his hand to grab Naruto’s hand instead of it being vice versa. He got up and began pulling Naruto up too who just whined at the treatment. “Come on you big baby, the sooner we get to a hotel, the sooner you’ll be able to fall asleep in a bed instead of the hard surface of the pickup,” He explained and heard Naruto sigh tiredly.

“Fiiiine,” Naruto said with a roll of his blue eyes. He grabbed his wig and finally let Sasuke pull him up until he was standing again. The blond used the momentum of the force with which the raven had pulled him to place a small peck on Sasuke’s lips and the Uchiha couldn’t help but smile at the gesture. It just looked and felt so much cuter when the blond strands of hair were all ruffled like that and those blue eyes were all hooded with sleep…

Their fingers were still laced and Sasuke began tugging Naruto to the edge of the pickup where they jumped down. The raven went around to the driver’s side and got in behind the wheel, waiting for Naruto to follow and trying his best to stop smiling in the meantime.  

After a couple of seconds Naruto had already gotten in the car too and had made himself comfortable in his seat, staring out of the side window.

“We have to find somewhere very cheap,” He mused out loud after Sasuke had finally pulled out of their parking place. “Probably not more than twenty five dollars,” He continued. “I mean, we’re pretty much used to living on the streets, anywhere with a bed and a shower with soap will do,” There was again little silence after that before Naruto continued again. “I think we should just look for one-star hotels, they’re usually the cheapest,”

“For a person who was on the verge of falling asleep not a minute ago you’re awfully talkative,” Sasuke said with a smirk. After that Naruto turned around in his seat so he was staring at Sasuke now instead of out the window.

“Yeah, I don’t know, I don’t feel that sleepy anymore,” Naruto said with a frown as if trying to figure out why. Well, Sasuke wished him luck with that. The raven had tried numerous times to figure out why the blond was the way he was but he could never quite reach an answer to that.

For a little while they drove in silence but then Naruto started shuffling around, obviously searching for something. Then, a second later, it got clear what it was when he straightened up in his seat and pulled out a cigarette form somewhere. He found the lighter in the glove department and lit the stick that had been hanging from his lips.

“We should probably put our lenses back on,” He said after taking a couple of drags from the cancer stick. Then he left it hanging between his lips again while he put on his wig once more.

A couple of minutes later Naruto was just throwing out the butt of his cigarette when he felt the car slow down. He looked out the front window and saw that Sasuke had parked in front of a small place which wasn’t more than three stories high. It looked more like an old pub if he had to be honest but that was actually what they needed. Somewhere that was obviously cheap and no one would care much about them.

They stayed for a minute longer in their car until they had their lenses back on and then, grabbing their backpacks, they exited the car simultaneously. Sasuke locked it behind them and together they entered the small lobby of the building. A couple of strides away from the entrance was placed an old looking desk behind which was siting a woman maybe in her late forties.

They made their way to what was obviously the reception and stood there until the woman finally lifted her gaze from the magazine she was reading. She looked at them skeptically from underneath her glasses, chewing loudly on her gum. Thank god she wasn’t popping balloons.

“What do you want?” She asked rudely. Well that pretty much explained why there didn’t seem to be a hoard of people in the lobby waiting for rooms.

“A room,” Sasuke said coldly with a deadpan look in his eyes.

The woman just rolled her eyes and finally straightened up in her chair which creaked from underneath her. With a sigh she pushed an obviously bleached strand of hair behind her ear and began typing something on her keyboard.

“ID’s,” She said without even looking at them.

They placed them on the counter almost instantly having prepared them in the car. She took them and did whatever she needed to do before returning them again and finally looking up at the two teens.

“For how long are you staying?” She asked, as if completely bored with what she was doing. And maybe she was but that still didn’t mean she should be acting like that with paying customers.

“One night,” Sasuke said, pulling out his wallet to put back his ID and take out money.

“Thirty dollars,” The woman said, continuing to chew on her gum lazily while she slapped a key with a number attached to it on the counter. She then put out her hand, obviously to collect the money.

Sasuke just gave it to her and, grabbing the key, he turned around and began walking towards the stairs to his right, Naruto following him suit behind.

They made their way to the dimly lit second floor, the stairs creaking underneath their feet as they climbed them. The walls in the hallway looked like they had had wallpapers on them some time ago but there was little left from them now. And the parts which were still holding up were torn and stained.

Using the number on the key, they quickly found the door to their room and Sasuke went to push in the key and unlock it. Opening the door, the raven turned on the light and they were greeted by a small room with orange walls, a carpet which had certainly seen better times, a double bed which at least had some clean sheets they hoped, and two nigh stands on either side of it. And that was it. There wasn’t much of anything else in the room and frankly, they didn’t think there would be enough space for it either. On the wall to their right was a door which probably led to the bathroom.

Naruto dropped his bag beside the bed and went to open the windows to let some fresh air in the room. Then he went to the door to the bathroom and opened it, turning the lights on and looking around it.

“It looks clean enough at least,” He said, not very trilled. “And there’s soap too and even shampoo,” He added after a little while.

In the meantime Sasuke had dropped his bag on the other side of the bed and was looking around the room with a small frown. It wasn’t anywhere near perfect but it would have to do. They’d have to share a bed but it wouldn’t be the first time so that didn’t bother him much. Sasuke could only hope that the sheets were clean enough.

Naruto soon exited the small bathroom and sat on the bed, turning his head to look at Sasuke.

“Wanna go first?” He asked the raven, nodding his head in the direction of the bathroom.

“Sure,” Sasuke said with a shrug and then sat on the bed so he could take off his shoes more easily.

Sasuke then got up and took off his shirt. He didn’t bother with folding it because soon they’d be washing all of their clothes anyway. Then he unbuckled his belt and dropped his skinny jeans to the ground, kicking them off his feet and to the side. He threw his clothes on the bed and turned to make his way to the bathroom, completely missing the heated gaze that followed his every movement form the moment he had grabbed the hem of his shirt to pull it off himself.

Naruto had watched, fascinated by all the pale smooth skin displayed to him and by the movement of muscle underneath it. No matter who you were, what you liked and what you didn’t, Naruto didn’t think there could be a person alive who could say that Sasuke wasn’t attractive. He just had that cold beauty to him which you couldn’t help but feel drawn to. And it got even better because except all that, Sasuke was very lean, but still muscular and so not only he had a nice face, but a good body too and he had such a nice, round ass and…

Naruto felt his groin stir in his pants. Okay, so he might still be a virgin but the way sex worked wasn’t a secret to him. He pretty much knew the basics of it but only when it came to girls and that was a problem. He just had never thought about what sex would be like with a guy. He guessed that he knew where certain parts would have to go if they wanted to call it real sex and he knew there would probably be that constant battle for dominance and like, who gets to top who, but other than that, he had no way of finding out what it would feel like when you excluded actually doing it. Okay, so there was one other way but he blushed from just thinking about it so that was out of the question too. He couldn’t really do that and he couldn’t just pounce on Sasuke first chance he got, but also, as a guy, he couldn’t really help but think about it. Wasn’t that what guys thought about most of the time anyway?

There was also the fact that Naruto didn’t think that Sasuke would be ever down to bottoming after what had happened to him and the blond completely understood that and was really okay with it. But what he didn’t know was if Sasuke would ever feel ready for sex, no matter the position he was in. The raven had a hard time with even the smallest of touches when he wasn’t expecting them so Naruto didn’t know what to expect concerning that part of their relationship.

Then again, Sasuke obviously had had no problem with touching and apparently jerking each other off when he was drunk so maybe there was a chance that he wouldn’t be all stiff and jerky when it came down to having sex. But they couldn’t get intimate only when they were drunk. They were two teenage and very hormonal guys, it was only natural they would think about having sex sooner or later when they were in a relationship.

But even if Sasuke was okay with it, and wanted to go further with Naruto, what really bothered the blond was that he wouldn’t know what to do when the time came.

He didn’t think that Sasuke would make fun of him or anything like that, but still. If you asked him, it would be pretty embarrassing if he had to be told what to do all the time.

Naruto blushed again when his mind supplied him with an image of what it would probably look and feel like. Okay, so now he was definitely _up_ to trying it but there was still the fact that he didn’t want to come on to Sasuke so much too soon. It had been just last night when they had agreed to give their relationship the chance to evolve into something more and the blond thought that it might just be a little too soon for what his body was thinking. Yeah, they had done something of the like before but he felt like it was more excusable when they were both drunk and high as kites.

In the end Naruto dropped back on the bed with a sigh, staring at the ceiling as if it would give him some answers to questions he didn’t even know how to ask. All that thinking about what-ifs, maybes and possibilities with very different variables had made his head hurt but except all that, he also felt hot and bothered right now. He just wished they could have been your average teenage boys because then things would have been so much easier.

He couldn’t have lied on the bed for more than two or three minutes when the door to the bathroom opened and from there exited Sasuke, still wet from his shower with only a short, white towel around his waist.

Naruto moved his eyes to look at him, opening his mouth as if to say something but the words froze in his throat when he took in Sasuke’s image. Okay, so it wasn’t like he hadn’t seen him in a similar state of undress before but it was just recently that he had started thinking so differently about the raven and it had been just two minutes ago when he had been thinking about having sex with him so it was only normal for this image to have different effects on him now than it did before.

Despite his inner voice screaming at him to look away, his eyes couldn’t help it but follow a single droplet of water which began its descent from Sasuke’s jaw, then moved down his long neck, over his pale collarbone, until it slid down his chest and then over his naval and then… then it disappeared in the white towel.

“Stop drooling, idiot,” Sasuke said with a smirk, almost laughing while he shook his head. He held his towel as he moved around the small room, going to his side of the bed where he sat down. “Go hit the shower,” He said and lifted his bag to look through it, probably searching for a pair of clean underwear.

Blushing harder than ever because he had been so obviously checking the raven out, Naruto swallowed thickly and could only nod his head even if Sasuke had his back to him now and couldn't see him. He quickly got up and threw his clothes off, going in the bathroom as fast as he could and closing the door behind himself.

Soon Sasuke heard the shower start once again, indicating that Naruto had gotten underneath it.

Now, the Uchiha was in no way an idiot. He had felt the way the blue eyes had followed him at first before he had gotten in the bathroom. He was well aware of how attractive he was even to people who liked to tell themselves that they weren’t attracted to him. And Sasuke didn’t even have to try. But when he did try, he doubted there was someone who could resist him and that wasn't overconfidence speaking, it was experience.

The dent he had seen in Naruto’s pants when he had exited the shower was proof enough for that and he felt very smug when that same dent had only gotten bigger the longer Naruto had stared.

But Sasuke couldn’t just go for the blond. No, he had to make Naruto take the first step so Sasuke could be sure that the blond really wanted it. As little experience as the raven had, it was still experience and he knew that for someone like Naruto, who basically had none, deciding to be with a man was a huge thing so he shouldn’t force him into something in any way. Plus, Naruto had agreed to be with him as more than just friends, it had even been his idea somewhat so that was a good enough sign that if Sasuke just waited for a little while things between them would probably go there pretty soon.

And knowing what a physical guy Naruto was, there was no way he would be able to withhold for long. Sasuke just hoped that Naruto would be willing to bottom because there was no way he would be able to do that any time soon. There were just too much bad things he associated with that.

That said, the raven had to just sit back and wait for Naruto to decide when and what he wanted but Sasuke wasn’t naturally a patient person. There was certainly some tension between them and he really wished they could finally get to that so it would dissolve. Not like the tension was the only reason he wanted to sleep with Naruto. God only knew, that was at the bottom of the list. No, it was just that Sasuke was really frustrated and Naruto was really hot and he really wanted to see what the blond would be in bed and hear him moan and know that he was the reason for it and… Okay, back to the point.

Earlier Sasuke had had some time to think about stuff. At one point he had started to wonder if he would be okay with having sex with Naruto because it was only natural the blond would want to do it at some point. And at first Sasuke hadn’t been so sure how he would react to it but then, when the blond had gone to kiss him and then had stopped to let the raven decided if he himself wanted it, even if it was something like a kiss which they’d done a lot of before, Sasuke had decided that he really would be okay with going there with Naruto. It was obvious the blond wouldn’t make him do anything he wasn’t comfortable with and it was obvious that he would be able to call a stop to whatever they did, whenever he felt like he needed to without that causing any problems between them.

After that kiss Sasuke had decided that he really wanted to get Naruto in bed with him and not just to sleep. But he had to think of a way to make Naruto initiate it so he wouldn’t feel like forcing the blond.

Completely lost in his thoughts, Sasuke just sat there on the bed, clad only in his boxers and looking at the carpet for a while. At some point he moved until he was lying down, propped up on the headboard with his hands crossed behind his head. He bent one leg up, shaking it left and right as he thought things through and as immersed in his planning as he was, he didn’t notice when the shower had stopped.

A minute later the door to the bathroom was opened again, but this time, from there exited a naked and wet Naruto, clad in much the same as Sasuke. The blond had taken a clean pair of underwear with him in the bathroom and had put the towel around his neck instead.

“I don’t have any clean clothes left so I’ll be sleeping like that,” He said casually and turned his back to Sasuke to rummage through his backpack so he could get all of his clothes out. There was a bucket in the bathroom which he planned to clean, then fill with water and soap so he could wash his clothes there.

His back to the raven, Naruto couldn’t see the eyes roaming his form but he pretty much felt them on him. At one point he turned around, letting his eyes go up and down Sasuke’s almost naked body and then he pulled up brow.

“You don’t have any clothes left too?” He asked innocently when his eyes found the black ones again.

“No,” Sasuke said nonchalantly, shaking his head and shrugging one shoulder as if that didn’t bother him in the least. Well, it certainly looked like it didn’t so Naruto just nodded his head in response.

“Give me yours too then, I’ll go and wash ‘em all,” He suggested.

“My bag’s right there,” Sasuke said casually, nodding his head towards the night stand where indeed his backpack was.

Now, no matter how often Sasuke liked to call him dumb, Naruto certainly wasn’t, so he knew perfectly well what the raven was doing, lying all spread out and naked like that, still a little damp from his shower and looking at Naruto with those black, already hooded eyes of his. But two could play this game and Naruto _really_ loved games.

That said, the blond didn’t go around the bed so he could get to the bag, no, he chose the easiest route to it and that was across the bed. So he got on his hands and knees on the mattress and crawled forward very slowly, stretching himself over Sasuke and towards the nightstand, but somehow, it seemed he couldn’t quite reach the bag. Because of that, he put one hand on the headboard right above Sasuke’s head and one knee between Sasuke’s legs, just below his groin before he could finally grab the bag with his free hand. Now, anyone else would have probably moved right then to get away and start washing the clothes, but then again, anyone else would have probably circled the bed to get to the bag too.

Naruto, who was in no way anyone else, let his eyes drop until they found a pair of heated black ones, staring right back at him with an intensity which was almost overwhelming. The tension and temperature in the room had spiked considerably and neither of them moved for a long moment, both just staring at each other with something very close to lust in their eyes.

Sasuke shifted a little on the bed, sliding just a bit lower, closing a little the distance between himself and that knee between his legs. But he also bent his other leg up, leaving it a hair away from Naruto’s groin, which had started to stir again. The raven’s eyes hadn’t even once left the blue ones which were watching him intently from above. There was this intense look in the black gaze, almost as if he was trying to compel Naruto to make the first move.

“Naruto,” He said slowly, his voice was gruff, lower than usual and thick with arousal and anticipation.

After hearing Sasuke say his name in such a way, Naruto felt his cock jump and harden further in his boxers and the blond had to swallowed thickly first before he was even close to being able to use his voice again.

“Yeah?” He asked, noticing his voice had noticeably lowered too but he didn’t care much. There were some much more pressing matters at the moment.

“Leave the clothes for tomorrow,” The raven said simply, still staring in those blue eyes which had darkened in the span of a second.

“Okay,” The blond said quietly, nodding his head slowly. That was all Sasuke had been aiming for. When Naruto had decided that he could beat the raven in his own game he had immediately fallen in the trap carefully set out for him.

So, letting the bag go from the death grip he had on it, Naruto moved his hand until it was next to his other one on the headboard. Sasuke let his legs slide down on the bed and it got clear this was what the blond had been waiting for, because not a second later, he had already straddled Sasuke completely and had lowered his head until his lips were just a breath away from Sasuke’s ear.

Sasuke, on his part, couldn’t do much right now except for to grip Naruto’s hips, keeping him from fidgeting too much.

“You know what you just got yourself into right, Sasuke?” Naruto asked in a low tone, dragging out every syllable from the raven’s name and licking the shell of his ear slowly, extracting a shudder from the body below him. Then, before Sasuke had the chance to answer, the blond ground his hips down harshly, joining their clothed groins and receiving a beautiful moan in response.

Sasuke had closed his eyes at the sudden, unexpected pleasure that washed over his senses but not a second later, he opened them again and smirked, tightening his grip on Naruto’s hips.

“I know perfectly well, Naruto,” He said and ground his hips up while he pushed Naruto’s down, letting him feel just how hard he was. “Do you?” He asked and bit the blond’s earlobe, rolling his hips to increase the friction between them, as if putting emphasis and what was going to happen.

Instead of answering, Naruto just moaned, smirked and then rolled his hips in return. He then leaned down to kiss the raven and that was more than enough of an answer for Sasuke who met him halfway there. The kiss had instantly deepened while they moved in sync, grinding against each other and moaning in each other’s mouths.

Naruto let one hand go form the headboard and cupped Sasuke’s cheek with it, forcing the raven to open his mouth wider so the blond could plunge his tongue deep in Sasuke’s mouth. Then he moved his hand lower, down the perfect pale neck and over the sculptured shoulder. His lips left the ravens’ and Naruto began to trail open-mouthed kisses down to his jaw and then the side of his neck. There, at the base of it, he stopped and bit down while bucking his hips rather harshly against those of his… what? Best friend? Boyfriend. Yeah, he liked the sound of that one and they were certainly more than friends in that moment.

He sucked on the pale flesh and his hand began to move lower again, down the pale chest, until Naruto brushed a nipple with his finger. Apparently that, combined with the way he was sucking on the pale neck and rolling his hips was all that he had to do to turn Sasuke into a moaning mess.

Encouraged by the moans he was hearing, Naruto sucked harder on the pale flesh until he left an angry red mark there. Then he moved his mouth elsewhere while still rolling a hardened nipple between his fingers.

Admiring his work on the pale neck for a second, Naruto felt something animalistic awaken in him. He felt a strong surge of pride for having marked the raven this way.

Locking eyes with Sasuke, the blond lowered himself further until his lips were hovering over the raven’s other nipple which instantly perked at the attention.

Not breaking eye contact, the blond closed his lips over it and lapped at it with his tongue, wetting it with his saliva and sucking on it while still working the other with his hand. Then he lifted his mouth and blew on it, mesmerized by the way it hardened even further.

But that wasn’t all that had hardened further after his actions because Naruto felt perfectly the way Sasuke’s cock had jumped underneath his in that exact moment.

Figuring that he had had enough of lying around, Sasuke decided it was time to finally start participating more. He moved one hand from Naruto’s hip up to his naval where it was hovering right above the blond’s waistband, one finger hooked in it. His other hand Sasuke used to bury in the thick, blond locks so he could drag Naruto up for another heated kiss, their mouths already open before they met.

Then, when the blond least expected it, Sasuke plunged his hand in the already damp with precum boxers and closed his fingers, one by one, around the hard cock he found there, making Naruto moan into the kiss and feeling him twitch in his palm, leaking even more on his fingers.

The blond pulled away with a loud smack of their lips and threw his head back, a loud moan escaping his lips when Sasuke began massaging the head of his cock with his thumb, smearing the clear liquid that had pooled there. Then his hand began to move up and down his hard shaft, using the blond’s precum as lubrication. Naruto had to bite his lip because of the intense wave of pleasure that washed over him. 

He couldn’t help but buck into the hand, wanting to increase the painfully slow pace. But by doing that, he also dragged his balls up and down the hard shaft below, making Sasuke moan too.

Suddenly Naruto found himself on his back and realized that the hand which had been around him not a second ago was now gone, making him whimper at the loss. He looked up at Sasuke, probably to glare at him but in the end he only blushed when he saw the lazy smirk and the lust-filled eyes staring back at him, filled with a lot of promises about many different kinds of pleasure.

Before he could ask what Sasuke was doing, he felt that same hand which had been on him a second ago dip into his boxers again, but this time it pulled down the garment enough to get Naruto’s cock out of its confines and let it bob freely.

Naruto didn’t have any more thoughts after that because Sasuke had pushed his now also naked erection against Naruto’s, making the blond moan loudly at the new feeling. Then he felt Sasuke get a hold of both of their lengths and the raven began moving his hand and thrusting against Naruto. It wasn’t long before the blond too began to move, probably out of instinct because there was no way a coherent thought could have entered his mind at that moment.

The room was filled with moans and panting. The two naked bodies on the bed were covered with sweat but neither of them cared as they continued to thrust against each other, trying to push the other over the edge before they were brought to their own orgasm.

“Sa-ngh, Sasuke,” Naruto panted out, closing his eyes and burying his hands in the dark locks at the back of Sasuke’s head. “I..ah, I’m…”

“Me too,” Sasuke muttered when he lifted his mouth from the side of Naruto’s neck where he had left his mark. Deciding he was satisfied with the hickey he had left, the raven closed the distance between their lips once again, immediately pushing his tongue in the wet cavern of Naruto’s mouth whose grip had only tightened on the black strands of hair. Sasuke bit on Naruto’s lower lip, growling in warning though he couldn’t deny that his dick had leaked a considerable amount of precum at the rough treatment.

Suddenly Naruto arched off the bed with a loud, throaty moan, and ribbons of cum began to shoot out from his cock and across his naval and chest. The blond was shocked to have been so quickly pushed over the edge by the harsh way Sasuke had bitten his lip but he didn't worry too much about it because his mind had been turned into a blank pretty much at the same time.

Sasuke watched from above how Naruto’s eyes had rolled back in his head, how he had thrown his head back, deeper into the pillows below and the way his body had shook with the tremors of his orgasm while being covered with its remains too. Seeing that, and knowing he was the cause of it seemed to be all Sasuke needed to reach his braking point too. Cum started to spurt out from his dick in thick ribbons, doubling the amount there already was on Naruto’s body.

Sasuke let himself fall down, turning just in time so to not crush Naruto who was still breathing heavily, eyes glazed. The sight of his boyfriend, lying next to him naked, in a daze and panting while coated with both of their semen was almost enough to give Sasuke a second orgasm.

“Wow,” The blond said finally, turning his head to look at Sasuke.

“Yeah,” The raven said with a smile and gave the blond a peck to his lips, holding his mouth over the other’s a little longer than necessary.

They lied unmoving on the bed for a little while until Sasuke reached down to the floor next to his side of the bed and pulled up the towel he had used to dry himself earlier. With it he cleaned his hand and then Naruto as much as he could considering that everything had practically landed on him. The blond, on his part, still felt like jelly and could only watch as Sasuke took care of him, cleaning him and helping him move around. The raven also pulled his soiled boxers all the way down and threw them on the floor. He grabbed something from his bag which was still on the nightstand, and threw it at the light switch, turning the lights in the room off. Then, finally, he lied back down next to Naruto who immediately snuggled closer to him, inhaling deeply the scent of his boyfriend.

“G’night,” The blond said against the pale chest, already sounding half asleep.

“Good night Naruto,” Sasuke said quietly, encircling the blond with his arms and placing a small, butterfly kiss in top of his head. Very soon they were both sound asleep.     

* * *

 **A/N:** And that was Chapter 12! I really hope you liked it. If you did, don't be shy and leave me a review because those are basically what I live for and all that I need to fuel my writing process. So I hope you're not too mad at me for the long wait and that I had somewhat won you over again with that last, juicy scene ;) Thank you for still bearing with me and I'll see you all in two weeks ^.^


	13. Progress

Two weeks my ass! God, I'm such a liar, I hope none of you believed me when I said that last time. _Hopefully_ my hiatus is finally over now and I apologize for it. I was just caught off guard with how stressful being a high school senior actually is! Like, I'm sure you all have been there and know what it is like, but still, I was in no way prepared for all the shitton of work I had to do. At least now that I have almost everything regarding my higher education sorted out, I really want to believe that I will have more time to write. Well, I guess we'll see about that soon enough lol

Anyway, on with Chapter 13!

* * *

 

Naruto was unfortunately awoken by the annoying bird which seemed insistent on chirping right on the window’s sill. Now, usually he didn’t have anything against those little guys but this particular morning he didn’t feel like waking up quite yet. So, with that in mind he tried to grasp his pillow and pull it over his head in hopes of blocking away the annoying sound. Only when his plan didn’t work like he imagined it to, did he realize that his pillow wasn’t exactly a pillow at all. It felt a lot more like a smooth, hard chest which made Naruto frown for a second.

His confusion though lasted for a total of two seconds, because by the third, memories from last night began to flood his mind. With a heavy blush on his face, the blond remembered why exactly he was sleeping on top of Sasuke’s chest. But, blush or not, he didn’t move an inch.

He almost felt embarrassed when he thought about what had happened, but more so, he felt content that his first had been Sasuke. Even if what had happened last night hadn’t been exactly sex, it was enough for Naruto. He understood that it was probably hard for Sasuke to be so physical all of a sudden when for the most part he had avoided even the most casual of contact as much as he could.

And thinking about last night’s events, the blond became very aware of how strongly he actually felt for Sasuke. He was now sure that, whatever this was between them, it wasn’t some sort of silly infatuation born because of the hormones which went away as soon as you had what you wanted. If anything, he felt like it had only gone deeper.

He wasn’t very sure how Sasuke would react to all that when he woke up but Naruto decided he shouldn’t be too worried. After all, the raven had been the one to basically initiate things so it would be pretty hypocritical of him to act all freaked out in the morning.

Last night, when Naruto had been thinking of doing something sexual with Sasuke, he hadn’t thought it would happen just twenty minutes later but he wasn’t complaining. He actually felt a lot more relaxed than he had felt in months and he could only hope that Sasuke would feel the same way too. He didn’t know what he would do if the raven woke up and decided to act all detached and broody because of what had happened between them.

As if sensing Naruto’s doubts, the arms around him suddenly tightened, breaking him out of his thoughts. There was also a long intake of breath from underneath him and Naruto turned his head up to look at his boyfriend, a smile already forming on his lips. He felt giddy only thinking about that word. Boyfriend. The guy, whom every teenage girl, and sometimes the occasional boy, wanted upon meeting was his best friend and now also his boyfriend. How crazy was that?

The obsidian eyes opened, immediately finding Naruto’s face and the blond stiffened a little in anticipation of the raven’s reaction. But Sasuke didn’t tense up, nor did he push the blond away. He just looked at him for a long moment and Naruto could practically see the memories from last night going through his boyfriend’s mind. He almost felt anxious as to how Sasuke would react, but in the end, when the raven smirked just a little bit Naruto immediately relaxed.

“Good morning,” The blond greeted him, his voice gruff from sleep and because of… yeah, sleep.  

“What are you smiling at?” The raven asked in his husky, morning voice while amusement danced in his dark eyes.

“You,” Naruto answered and his smile turned into a grin. “If you could see your hair right now, I bet you’d be laughing too,” He added, making Sasuke roll his eyes, but they didn’t lose one bit of the warmth and amusement.

“What time is it?” Sasuke asked, closing his eyes for a second while rubbing one hand up and down Naruto’s back. The movement seemed subconscious and it was exactly that which made it so heartwarming to the other.

“I don’t know, but it’s early,” Naruto answered, moving a little until he had placed both hands on Sasuke’s bare chest, propping his chin on them so he could watch his boyfriend’s face more easily.

“We still need to wash our clothes,” The raven noted, twisting his lips to the side at the thought of getting up. His hand never ceased its movement as he opened his eyes, probably sensing that Naruto’s whole attention was on him at the moment.

“Mm, two more minutes,” Naruto moaned, moving his hands just a bit so he could put his head on Sasuke’s chest again and over his heartbeat. He didn’t know why hearing the steady beat had such a calming effect on him, but it just did.

He felt the hand, which had been rubbing circles on his back, move up to his neck, leaving goosebumps in its wake. Soon the long, slender fingers were buried deep within his blond locks, massaging his scalp slowly and Naruto had no way of keeping in the moan that escaped his throat.

The chest underneath him suddenly began to shake and Naruto couldn’t so much hear as he could feel the vibrations of Sasuke’s low laugh.

“What?” He asked, not even opening his eyes.

“You’re all one huge weak spot, you know that?” Sasuke asked with a smirk. Not like the blond could see said smirk, but he could practically feel it so, rolling his eyes under his eyelids, Naruto sighed.

“Shut up and keep on doing what you did with that hand of yours,” He muttered, sounding much sleepier than he did a minute before. After a while he blushed when he became aware of the innuendo in his own words and he inwardly thanked god that Sasuke didn’t comment on it.

Instead of doing what he was told though, the raven grabbed a hold of the soft, blond locks and lifted Naruto’s head until his face was just two inches away from his. And before the blond could complain, Sasuke used his hand to guide Naruto’s head to the side while he leaned forward. Very soon he placed his lips over those of his boyfriend, successfully halting every thought going through that blond head of his.

Their kiss was slow, deep, throughout, and nothing like the heated ones they had shared the night before. It wasn’t wild or filled with lust but it still made Naruto’s knees go weak, just like any other time Sasuke would swipe his tongue over his bottom lip, asking for entry.

It continued for a couple of moments until, with one last flick of his tongue, Sasuke pulled away. He licked his lips, subconsciously savoring the taste while gazing at the blue eyes which had been immediately drawn to the motion of his pink tongue.

“Come on, we should get up, we have a long day ahead of us,” Sasuke said, lifting his other hand to place one of Naruto’s longer locks behind his ear.

With one last sigh and a resigned nod, Naruto pushed himself up and off of Sasuke. He sat on the edge of the bed, stretching his hands over his head while a yawn made its way out of his mouth. Naruto then looked around the room as if he was searching for something until a frown appeared on his face.

“Hey, bastard?” He began a little uncertainly, looking at Sasuke from the corner of his eye and successfully grabbing the raven’s attention. It wasn’t like Naruto to sound so embarrassed so Sasuke raised an eyebrow in question.

It was just that, for the first time that morning, Naruto had become aware that they were completely naked.

“Um, we don’t have any clean underwear left after what happened last night…” The blond trailed off, a light pink dusting his cheeks and his eyes were now looking at everything else _but_ Sasuke. He stared mostly at the carpet where their soiled underwear and the towel Sasuke had used last night to clean their mess from Naruto’s body still laid.

The Uciha got up and just snorted at the new revelation, stretching a little, seemingly completely unperturbed by his nudity. At first Naruto had thought that it would be awkward to walk around each other naked for so long but then decided that, if Sasuke didn’t care they had to stay completely in the nude for a couple of hours, then he wouldn’t give it a second thought too.

So the two teens got up from the bed and immediately got to, finally, washing their clothes. That, of course, didn’t go without some minor distractions here and there, induced by their hormones and nudity, but in the end, they at least had clean clothes to wear.

Once again, they were very thankful for the warm weather. Not two hours after they had finished washing, all of their clothes were completely dry and they were ready to finally leave the cheap hotel so that they could get back to their plan of finding a job.

* * *

“The two of you?” The tall woman asked skeptically. She had short, dirty-blond hair which barely reached her shoulders, her arms were crossed under her breasts, and one of her eyebrows had gone up in question. She looked like she was in her late forties, maybe early fifties, and she was the manager of the supermarket they were currently in. “I don’t think I can hire you both. First of all, neither of you has experience and it would be troublesome to teach you both from scratch, and second of all, I only need one person. If you’re so hung up on working together you should look somewhere else,” She said with finality then turned around and walked away. She hadn’t even invited them in her office, just straight out told them it wouldn’t happen.

Naruto sighed and Sasuke rolled his eyes. This was the sixth place they had tried and things weren’t looking good in any of them. Everywhere they went the managers wanted experience, but most of all, they wanted one person.

It was getting discouraging at this point because for the past four hours they had been turned down quite a lot. But, discouraging or not, they were determined to earn an honest living for themselves. It wasn’t like they couldn’t steal from someone but they just chose not to. If they wanted to finally start anew they just had to leave all that behind. Farther more, how much would they have to steal to afford to leave the country and get an education? For that they’d probably have to rob a bank, which by the way, didn’t fit in their plans in the least.

The duo walked out of the supermarket and went to their car again. They got in and both simultaneously leaned back in their seats, Naruto sighing again. Then, pursing his lips, the blond reached in the glove department and pulled out one of the papers they had gone through the day before. He opened it to look through the places they had circled and used his pen to put an ‘x’ on the address they had just been to. After a minute of scanning through to the ads he spoke.

“Okay, so there’s this hotel, like fifteen minutes away from here, which has a restaurant where they need waiters. And it’s written in plural so…,” Naruto said, looking up at the raven.

Sasuke nodded courtly and started the car.

“What’s the address,” He asked, already pulling out of the parking lot.

* * *

Five hours later, at around six in the evening, Naruto and Sasuke had parked the car in the neighborhood which they had decided would be their temporary home the previous day. Like always they were sitting comfortably in the back, enjoying the night breeze and eating their dinner. Only this time around they were fairly quiet, or at least Naruto was. Usually the blond would fill in the silence with mindless chatter almost the whole time he ate, talking about one thing or another. But that night in particular he was feeling kinda too tired for that courtesy of the long day they had had.

They had gone to numerous shops, supermarkets, hotels and whatnot around the city in search for jobs, and so far, they hadn’t had the slightest bit of luck. Managers all around the city were reluctant to hire them because of their inexperience, but mainly because of the fact that they were insisting on working together. It was just crucial for them to work at the same place considering they had little to no money to spend, had only one car, and on top of all that, they lived in said car. They couldn’t really blame anyone for not hiring them, but at the same time, they were starting to get frustrated. In one day they had covered around a third of all the places they could search for jobs at. If things continued that way, they would have to think about moving to somewhere else and start the process all over again.

Naruto suddenly dropped his plastic fork in frustration, twisting his mouth to the side while his frown deepened. Somehow he didn’t feel all that hungry tonight. Maybe it was because of all the things going through his head at the moment but he really couldn’t help it. Of course, even if they’d never done it before, they hadn’t thought it would be all that easy to find a job. But at the same time, how could they go to so many places and be turned down at each and every one of them? How was he supposed to stay optimistic now, after a day full day of being disappointed with the shit luck they had had so far? They doubted there were many different jobs for two uneducated teens nowadays. Except for waiters, baristas, receptionists, maybe bartenders or those annoying people on the streets that tried to give you brochures, there wasn’t much of anything else they could do. And they had tried a lot of places that offered such jobs today and none seemed promising.

There had been this one woman, the manager of a small café in the outskirts of the city who had promised to keep them in mind but they weren’t holding their breaths too much. If anything, she was most probably just being polite in letting them down.

Naruto sighed, letting himself fall down until he was lying on his back, arms crossed under his head. He appeared deep in thought.

Sasuke had stopped chewing when Naruto had rather abruptly thrown his fork down, but when the blond also fell heavily on his back the raven had to raise an eyebrow in question. It wasn’t like he didn’t understand the other's frustration but he thought that Naruto might be overreacting just a little bit. They still had a long way to go before they covered all the places that were hiring. And there were even some that weren’t listed in the papers.

“I need to vent,” Naruto said evenly while staring up at the orange hues of the sunset in the sky.

With a shrug the raven let go of his fork too and leaned back on the side of the pickup, ready to listen.

“Go on,” He said calmly and reached his hand for the pack of cigarettes resting near his leg. He got one out and placed it between his lips, leaving it there to hang loosely while he searched for the lighter. Finally finding it, he rested against the side of the pickup again and lit his smoke, immediately taking a puff and throwing the lighter to the folded blanket near him. They had stolen it from the hotel to spread it out on the floor of the pick up when they slept there. It wasn’t the best of improvements but it was something.

Sasuke bent one knee up and rested on it the elbow of the hand with which he was holding his cigarette, staring at Naruto expectantly until the blond began talking.

“Well, I don’t know, I guess being turned down so much in one day is kinda making me nervous about how this will unfold from now on. I mean, how can I be an optimist about this when we’ve tried half of every damn place around here that is short on people and no one is willing to hire us? And also, we need to find jobs in the very near future because a couple of months from now we’ll have to already have a place at least with a fucking roof! In three months it’s gonna be all rain and wind again and probably fucking cold as all hell too, and we can’t keep on living in the damn car! But we also can’t afford to live with other people because we have to hide ourselves under these wigs and lenses like we’re some sort of criminals or something!” Naruto stopped to take deep breath before he continued again, completely missing the amusement that crossed the dark eyes at that last statement. Though Sasuke was also amused by the way Naruto’s hands continued to flail around him while he spoke and how he grew more and more angry at their situations like this was going to change it in any way. Not like he himself wasn’t agitated with the way things were but the blond was just so animated while he talked. It was kinda funny and even a little bit cute to watch all those vivid emotions pass through his face one after the other. He knew he probably shouldn’t be amused by all that but it didn’t stop him at all.

Naruto began talking again, making Sasuke break out of his thoughts and focus. He doubted Naruto would be too happy to learn that, while he was venting his frustration, Sasuke could only think about how _cute_ he was. Not that it was something that happened all that often, if ever, because if it were someone else doing the same, he would probably be more annoyed with them than anything else. It was kind of a first for him to think so dearly about someone, even if that someone was Naruto. He was almost shocked actually that such a thought had passed through his head, but he decided that he wouldn’t let it disturb him. After all, this was his boyfriend. It was only normal he thought such things about him, right?

“And don’t even get me started on that!” The blond exclaimed. “It’s so fucking tiresome to have to look over my shoulder every time I need to readjust or take off my wig or my lenses. It’s exhausting and I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I just want a bed to sleep in every night and not worry that it might rain. And I also want to take regular showers and not think about money all the time and if we’ll have enough for dinner! Is that too much to ask for? Just a normal, fucking life for god’s sake? Sasuke, what if this continues forever? I don’t think I…” But Naruto didn’t get to finish because suddenly, there was a pair of lips covering his.

At first the blond was a little taken aback by the assault but it took him only a second to close his eyes and relax again, giving in to the kiss and returning it shallowly, leaving the raven to take the lead on this one. Sasuke tasted lake cigarettes, having just thrown the butt of his smoke out, but Naruto couldn’t care less about that. If anything, it only turned him on.

Their kiss didn’t last for long though, and after what felt like only a second, Sasuke pulled back just enough to look at Naruto without having to cross his eyes. He was now straddling the blond, having moved over him while the kiss progressed. He was supporting his weight on his left forearm, which was placed right next to Naruto’s head. The raven had used his other hand to hold his boyfriend’s chin in place while he did his best to shut him up for a while.

“What was that for?” Naruto asked quietly. He was a little out of breath, staring up at Sasuke’s eyes which, if possible, only seemed to get darker as the daylight faded.

“It was the only way I could think of to shut you up without starting a fight,” Sasuke answered with a smirk, though he was saying the truth. He got up until he was sitting on the blond’s hips, hands braced on the tan wrists and fingers moving slightly, subconsciously, in small circles over the skin there. Sasuke’s face turned serious again as he looked down at his boyfriend.

“Also, stop whining, did you forget about your idea to leave the states? I think we decided quite clearly that this is what we’ll do one day. Of course we wouldn’t be like that forever. One day we’ll have our own place and enough money to live normally. You’ll see,” He finished in a quiet and much softer voice than it had been in the beginning. Sasuke leaned down again, giving Naruto’s lips a light peck.

Naruto smiled into the kiss at first, feeling his insides twist and a wave of warmth wash over him that seemed to spread through all of his body. It wasn’t every day that Sasuke acted the cute, reassuring boyfriend. But that smile morphed into a grin the very moment Sasuke pulled back.

“When did we switch roles?” He asked and the raven couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Not like the blond was wrong. Sasuke just though that Naruto actually had no idea how well the role of the ‘optimist’ suited him and how strange it was to see him so run down. It was almost painful so what choice did he have?

“Idiot,” He murmured through a smirk and used his hands to push himself up and completely off of the blond. He didn’t get far though, because Naruto grabbed his wrists and got up to a sitting position himself, using his momentum to return the small peck Sasuke had given him not a minute earlier. Then, only after that was done, he let Sasuke go, a small, fond smile on his lips as he watched the pale boy move around until he got comfortable again against the side of the pickup.

“Thanks,” Naruto said quietly, his eyes following Sasuke’s every movement.

The raven just shrugged one of his shoulder as if it wasn’t such a big deal. But to certain extends, it was. Sasuke was all Naruto had at the moment and he was very grateful that his boyfriend cared enough to pull him out of his bad moods instead of telling him to just get over it. Not like he hadn’t done that before, but more often than not, he very subtly tried to distract Naruto, and even if he did it by being an asshole, it was still appreciated.

“I’m used to your bitching, it’s only natural for me to find ways of effectively stopping it too,” He said with a smirk, making Naruto roll his eyes this time. Yup, definitely a full-time asshole.

“Bastard,” He said through a chuckle, shaking his head slightly.

They fell into their usual banter after that. At one point Naruto had grabbed himself a cigarette too, smoking it slowly while he and Sasuke were almost lying on their backs in the pickup, staring at the clear, already dark and star-filled sky. They talked about a lot of things, some meaningless, other not so. They didn’t go into too deep yet though, just enjoyed each other’s company.

Neither of them had noticed when, nor how it had happened, but at one point, they both became aware of their hands being joined, fingers laced together. That though, was something neither teen did anything to change it because if they had to be honest, it was just that more comfortable this way. There was just something about the knowledge that there was someone out there who was ready to be with you through almost anything. And it always felt good to have that someone closer, be it emotionally or physically.

And for the first time Sasuke realized that Naruto’s touch didn’t bother him at all anymore. The subtle holding of hands, their knees touching, the occasional shoulder bump… neither of these bothered him in the least. Not to mention he didn’t even pay them any mind anymore.

He counted that as great improvement, because even if strangers still made him feel on edge, he was happy to be acting normal, at least around Naruto.

* * *

The small apartment was engulfed by a thick blanket of silent darkness which was only broken by the dim light filtering in from the windows, courtesy of the street lamps below. The quiet sounds of the night were also a nice addition. The cool, night breeze, ruffling the curtains and entering the rooms was the only thing making the warm summer night bearable enough for sleep.

In that small apartment four people were deep in slumber, exhausted by yet another day spent in the Aurora headquarters. Looking at numerous screens, going through footage with bad quality and being pressed by time was certainly taking its toll on these four which was getting obvious judging by the dark circles that had started to appear underneath their eyes.

On the bright side though, they had cleared yet another exit of Lewistown, the southern. Although, sadly, there was still no trace of Naruto and Sasuke on any of the footage they had gone through. They were getting a little worried that maybe they had looked them over. If the teens had already changed personalities and looks, it wouldn’t be so surprising if they hadn’t recognized them, though it would be more than disappointing to miss them yet again. So far this was their only reliable lead and if they turned out empty handed from this, well, the plan was to just contact every branch of their agency and tell them to be on the lookout for them.

It had been little after midnight when they had gone back to Kakashi’s apartment that night, and not even ten minutes later, everyone had been fast asleep. They were going to wake up early in the morning and go back into the tall corporate building to resume the search, but at around three in the morning, it got clear that their schedule had to be moved around a little bit.

Kakashi was very far gone in la la land when his phone went off. Scrunching up his nose in annoyance he rather reluctantly opened one eye and prepared to turn off the irritating device. He was just about to decline the call when he read the caller ID and realized he had no choice but to answer.

“This better be the best thing you’re going to tell me this month,” He said into the phone, his voice gruff with the remains of sleep. Although, no matter how he sounded, he was already alert and ready to listen to whatever it was the caller had to say.

And indeed it was very good news, because Kakashi’s eyes had widened just seconds later. He was already sitting in the bed, nodding his head slightly at what he was told from the other line.

“I’ll wake them up and we’ll be there in twenty minutes.” He said urgently, all of the sleep gone from his voice, replaced by something that sounded a lot more like pride.

He closed the phone and got up, shaking his head while a small smirk made its way to his lips.

“For such a lazy bum he sure makes a lot of breakthroughs in the middle of the night,” Kakashi muttered to himself while pulling his pants up. Now Kakashi had to wake up the other three and get them to the HQ because he was sure that if he didn’t let them know about Shikamaru’s development now, Kushina and Mikoto were going to chew his head off in the morning.

They were crazy like that, although it was vary much understandable. It was their sons they were talking about here.

Going around the apartment, he first woke up Mikoto and then went in the living room where Minato and Kushina were sleeping on his couch. The silver-haired man had woken all of his guests up in the matter of a minute, only saying that Shikamaru had made some major progress with their search. That was more than enough to clear every trace of sleep from their faces, and not five minutes later, they were all ready to leave the apartment again.

He waited until they have left, and were all sitting comfortably in the car, to start explaining what exactly it was that Shikamaru had done.

“Apparently they had developed some software which has the task to find all of the faces and registration plaques from the footage and zoom in on them, while clearing the picture as much as possible. Shika said that it needed some time to prepare every photo individually, but that he had had the program running for some time now which means that…” Kakashi glanced briefly at his watch. “In around five minutes the check should be done. All we have to do now is look through everything the software has taken out of the footage,” He explained.

That way things would really go more simple and way faster, but before any of them could get happy about it, Minato noticed something in Kakashi’s explanation which bugged him.

“Wait a minute, they?” He asked, blond eyebrows pulled together in a frown. As far as they knew, Shikamaru was the only one who knew about this. If they wanted to organize a mission for their search they would have to file in a report to the local chief, wait for it to be approved, wait for the team to be organized, and only then would they be allowed to proceed. That would give them more resources and people, yes, but it would also slow them down in terms of time, and that’s why their mission was kinda under the radar for now.

What they were doing was basically illegal so far and they could only trust their friends not to rat them out on this. But if someone else already knew they might be forced to make it into a real mission. But that was the plan if things didn’t work with the footage from Lewistown.

Instead of explaining though, the silver-haired man just smirked.

“Yeah, you’ll see,” Was all he said as he finally pulled the car in the underground parking lot. His answer wasn’t all that reassuring, but there was no need to explain to him why Minato seemed worried, his ex-student knew perfectly well how things stood if you wanted to request a team and resources. Minato guessed that he’d only have to trust him.

But trust or not, the blond male and the two women were on edge the whole ride up the elevator. They could only hope that, whoever else was with Shikamaru at the moment, they wouldn’t be opposed to keeping what they were doing a secret.

Soon the metal doors slid open to let them out into the familiar hallway. The distance between the elevator and the room in which they’ve spent most of the last two days was walked in a hurry. Kushina didn’t care so much if they’d have to turn this into a real mission as much as she wanted to already know where to find her boys. She didn’t even bother to knock, just grabbed the door handle and twisted it, opening the door and walking in with Mikoto and her husband in tow.

Kakashi also walked in a couple of seconds later, having _walked_ instead if running much like his companions had done.

“Shikaku?” The redhead suddenly asked, eyes widening for a second until a big smile overtook her features. She hadn’t seen him in such a long time and it was also such a relief that it was a friendly face they found here.

The man smiled warmly and walked towards them. He looked older than the last time they saw him but that had been some years ago so it was only normal. His hair had gone a shade lighter and there were new wrinkles on his face but his eyes still held that same sharpness and intelligence from all that time ago. That was something they knew would always stay the same no matter how much time passed.

Kushina went and hugged him briefly, happy to see him after being apart for so long. They had been great friends before work had separated them and then kept them busy. And with all the stuff that happened sixteen years ago, them going in hiding and losing their children…

“What are you doing here?” She asked when she finally pulled away and watched as the Nara man shook hands with Mikoto and Minato.

“Well, my son hasn’t been home in two days now, so I was beginning to worry. I came to see what was so important that he wouldn’t stop working for so long. I see you’re still the same slave-driver as always, huh?” He finished with a smile in Kushina’s direction.

“Oh, shut up, that’s so not true!” She said with a pout, playfully crossing her arms over her chest while amusement danced in her violet eyes.

“Anyway, when Shikamaru told me what exactly was going on, I had to stay and see what I could do to help. That’s how we came up with the software. And I gotta say, I can’t wait to meet Naruto and Sasuke. It’s not every day someone manages to escape and confuse you three,” Shikaku added at the end, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening as he smiled.

“I second that. It would be certainly interesting to have a conversation with those two,” Kakashi added form where he was sitting on the leather sofa, quietly observing the friendly reunion up until then.

“Okay, I say we get to finally finding them if you two want to meet them so bad,” Mikoto said, a true Uchiha smirk on her lips as she flipping her long, black locks over her shoulder. She sat on a chair next to Shikamaru in front if the big monitors they’ve been watching for the past two days. “We’ll have enough time to catch up later,” She added, letting her dark eyes roam the many folders on the screen. They were a total of twelve folders, each labeled with the direction of the exit and the date from the footage. There was no doubt all the folders were full of photos so it was better they started as soon as possible. 

It wasn’t long before they were all comfortably seated in front of the huge screens and ready to start. There was a steaming cup of coffee in front of each and every one of them, placed there in preparation for the long night, and then probably the even longer day ahead of them.

But they were getting closer to their goal, closer to finding their sons. Neither of the parents desperate to find their kids could even begin to thank their friends for helping them so much. With just some luck, they’d be reunited again.

Hopefully, very soon, they’d be the happy family they were all supposed to be from the beginning.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke were on the hunt for jobs again. They had woken up early in the morning, or at least Naruto had. The raven hadn’t slept all that well last night. He had kept turning and tossing around, and whenever he did manage to fall asleep, it was usually for a very short time and his sleep wasn’t even peaceful. He kept having these chaotic dreams which bordered on nightmares. They kept him awake for most of the night and even made him a little afraid to close his eyes at one point. It was just that he felt some sort of an unexplainable tension within and around him. As if something was going to happen, and he was sure that it was something he wouldn’t like at all.

After a quick breakfast, consisting of the left-overs from last night, the teens had started the car. Spreading the papers again, Naruto had looked through whatever was left uncrossed and had chosen one place at random. But just like all through yesterday, the manager, of what turned out to be a small diner, didn’t seem very keen on hiring them. Probably because he was obviously an old pervert, and from the looks of it, only hired girls so he could watch them wearing those revealing uniforms all day.

Sasuke wasn’t sure if he would have agreed to work there even if they were hired. When they had entered all of the girls working morning shift had started to whisper and giggle, annoying the raven even before he had the chance to meet them. There was no way he could ever work with them and not commit homicide. Not to mention the manager was an old sly fart. They didn’t waste more than five minutes at that place before hurriedly exiting.

Going back behind the wheel, the raven had been in a considerably worse mood than before. And then, as if everything else wasn’t enough, Naruto had also started to grate on his nerves. He was acting like a total child and Sasuke was finding it harder and harder not to snap at him. Although he was aware that he was more irritable that day, the blond was also a lot more obnoxious than usual if you asked the Uchiha. 

“Come on, I really need to go,” Naruto whined, making Sasuke roll his eyes.

“Why didn’t you go while we were at the diner?” He asked, trying his best to stay calm and probably failing miserably. But if Naruto noticed it, he didn’t say anything.

“Because I didn’t need to go then, and besides, did you see those girls? They were like a pack of wolves, the moment I enter the bathroom no doubt they would be coming after me to grope me or some shit like that,” He said with a huff, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Then you’ll go when we get to the next restaurant. I doubt they don’t have a bathroom there and it’s just twenty minutes away,” He answered, not even looking at the pouting blond. His dark blue eyes were narrowed at the road ahead of them. There was this distant, dull ache in his head, which threatened to turn into a full blown migraine very soon, and Sasuke really wished that Naruto would shut up for a little while. But of course, those wishes of his had never been granted.

“First of all, it would be super dumb to enter the place and be like ‘Hey, I want the job, but first let me take a piss’,” Naruto looked at the raven with a deadpan look on his face. “Like our chances aren’t low enough as it is. And second of all, I really can’t keep it in anymore! Just stop the car somewhere and I’ll go in some café or something, I don’t care where,” He said, sounding desperate at the end. He didn’t care how annoyed Sasuke was with him at the moment, the raven would be probably tons of times more annoyed if Naruto pissed himself in the car. Why did he have to be so difficult? It wasn’t like Naruto called the shots with this. It was a normal urge, damn it, and it was getting more _urgent_ with every second.

Sasuke sighed deeply, closing his eyes for a second and pressing his lips in a thin line. His knuckles had turned white on the steering wheel when he finally pulled the car off the street and near the sidewalk. Then he turned off the engine and abruptly leaned back in his seat, doing his best to ignore the increasing pounding in his head.

When it appeared like Naruto wasn’t making a move to exit the car, Sasuke turned his head to look at him, one eyebrow pulled up in question. But the blond was just looking at him, a small frown marring his face. It looked like he was not so subtly studying the raven and trying to see what the problem was. And the Uchiha didn’t like that at all, so with a sigh, he turned his head forward again and closed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest as if trying to keep Naruto’s searching gaze from entering his mind.

“Weren’t you desperate to go?” He asked, obviously annoyed. His eyes still closed as he frowned.

But Naruto didn’t need to look him in the eyes to know that his boyfriend was in one of _those_ moods again. It looked like he was continuously clenching and relaxing his jaw and there was a certain tension in his body that hadn’t been there the day before. Naruto never knew what was the reason behind those moods of Sasuke’s, just that they occurred from time to time and made the raven a lot more grouchy and irritable than usual.

Continuing to feel the blond’s probing gaze on him, Sasuke got the need to move around, as if to make the other to finally stop staring. Not having anything else to do, he started patting his pockets for the cigarettes and lighter he knew had to be somewhere there. Very soon he had lit a cigarette, quietly smoking and blowing the smoke out of the open window. At least that provided him with something to do to distract himself from the eyes he still felt on the side of his face. He certainly didn’t feel like arguing with Naruto right now. He just needed to clear his head a little.

“Yeah...” Naruto finally answered, sounding deep in thought and Sasuke fought the urge to wince. A perceptive and very insightful Naruto was the last thing the raven wanted to deal with right now.

For a single moment Sasuke considered talking to Naruto about that feeling he had of something bad happening soon. But then, not a second later, his dismissed the thought. He hadn’t slept the whole night so of course he’d be irritable and tense. That feeling was most probably a result of all these piled together.

He finally heard the door to the passenger side open and then Naruto getting out of the car. After the door was closed again Sasuke sighed and then took another drag from his smoke. It wasn’t like he was acting that way on purpose. He was just bad at controlling his emotions at times. Keeping them bottled up for so long had its side effects too and one of them was that he got easily annoyed, especially if he went without sleep. And while it was true that Naruto hadn’t done all that much to annoy him this time, Sasuke just couldn’t help it.

He felt like a total jerk at the moment. Of course, that didn’t mean he was going to apologize or anything but he could at least try to keep himself in check from now on.

It couldn’t have been more than a minute later when suddenly the door to the passenger seat was thrown open again and the raven was broken out of his thoughts. He turned his head to the side to find the blond there, a frown of concentration on his face.

Naruto didn’t so much as say a word, nor did he get in the car for that matter. He had immediately opened the glove department and pulled out some papers from there which he spread out on his seat, quickly reading through some stuff.

“What are you doing? I though you went to the bathroom,” Sasuke asked with a frown, watching Naruto flip through the papers.

“I was planning to,” Naruto answered shortly and somewhat absentmindedly, while turning a paper over, his green eyes scanning quickly the text there.

“And?” Sasuke inquired before taking another drag from his cigarette, looking at Naruto with one eyebrow quirked up. “There was no toilet paper or what?” He asked, smoke escaping from his mouth with every word until he blew it all out. He was getting impatient again but how could he not when it was so unlike Naruto to keep silent on what he was thinking or doing.

For a long while Naruto didn’t answer and the silence had begun to stretch. The only sounds had been from the papers the blond was going through, the cars passing by and whenever Sasuke blew out some smoke.

Apparently not taking the prolonged silence well, the Uchiha was just opening his mouth to say something when the blond suddenly shouted in triumph, startling him into closing his mouth again.

“Aha! I knew it!” Then finally he lifted his gaze to regard his boyfriend. At least he didn’t seem mad or anything when he began talking. “When I got out I went for this really tall and lean building over there. See,” He pointed over his shoulder. “So, I read the name and it says Sharingan Corporations and I just instantly knew I had heard it somewhere, but at first I wasn’t sure where. But then I remembered there was this ad here,” He pointed at the paper without even looking at it. “And it says they need janitors,” Naruto finished with a big smile.

His smile almost fell at the deadpan look he received from Sasuke after he was done. Key word: almost. He was prepared to meet resistance on this, knowing Sasuke like he did, so he wasn’t too disappointed when the raven didn’t return his excitement.

“Come on Sasuke, look at this place! I bet a single janitor makes as much as two or three waiters do coupled together. If I’m right on this we’ll make the money we need a lot faster,” He explained.

“Naruto, I don’t like people on a good day, what makes you think I’d like to clean after them?” Sasuke asked in an even tone, looking at Naruto as if he had lost his mind. The blond, on his part, returned all of the papers in the glove department and climbed in the car with a sigh. He cocked his head to the side and looked at Sasuke as if he had to explain rocket science to a toddler.

“What are you talking about, that’s a business building, not a hotel or a club. At most we’ll be cleaning desks, floors and maybe the elevator on occasions. There aren’t kids to run around, screaming and throwing stuff on the ground. There wouldn’t be a lot, if there would be any teenage girls to fawn over you and the pay would be more than decent. Come on, let’s at least give it a try,” Naruto said, looking at Sasuke with his big frustratingly green eyes. These lenses might look natural on him, but the raven didn’t like them one bit.

“Okay, fine,” Sasuke said and, throwing the butt of his cigarette away, he got out of the car, slamming the door just a little bit too hard. “Although if they don’t want to hire us even at some low class diner, I don’t know what makes you think we’ll make it _there_ ,” Sasuke said, nodding his head towards the building after he had finally taken it in. It was huge, maybe thirty stories high, and it was all tinted windows and class. It practically screamed money and business and Sasuke didn’t know what had gotten into Naruto to want to drag him over there.

“I don’t know, just a feeling I guess. And it wouldn’t hurt us any to try,” Naruto answered optimistically, making Sasuke roll his eyes. They had the slimmest of chances of finding a job there and the raven couldn’t stop wondering why he was even agreeing to this. He kept on wondering that while they were walking through the huge parking lot, and while there weren’t many cars parked in it, the few that were, were all very expensive and sleek. Yet another sign that they had no business entering this place.

But Sasuke couldn’t turn around and leave even if he wanted to because of the strong grip Naruto had on his wrist. Don’t get him wrong, the raven wasn’t going to run away or anything, he could just see that they had nothing to do there. But apparently he was the only one who thought that way, because his blond, and obviously very dumb boyfriend only seemed to grow more confident with every step he took.

Finally they reached the two huge, glass doors which slid open in front of them as if inviting them in. Once again, Sasuke was tugged by the hand on his wrist, and only after they had stopped in front of what appeared to be the reception desk did the raven manage to pull his hand free.

He looked around the lobby while absentmindedly massaging the skin on his wrist. He noticed how classy and stylish everything looked. The floors were all big, marble tiles, which were in black and red. Also they were polished to perfection so much, that Sasuke could literally see his reflection in them. There was a sitting area on the other side of the huge room, all surrounded by windows. It consisted of a big, comfortable-looking, black, leather sofa and two armchairs from the same leather, placed on a plush, red carpet, all surrounding a low coffee table, made from glass. On the table was a small, creamy-colored vase, in which rested a single red flower, and around the vase were scattered many different magazines.

There were also huge pots in every corner of the room, with big, green plants growing from them, giving the place an air of coziness but also the unmistakable feeling of money and style.

Naruto smiled brightly at the girl behind the giant, cherry-wood desk, and although she had been looking a little warily at them until then, she politely returned the smile. Her dark hair was pulled up in two tight buns on each side of her head and she was wearing a black suit with a red shirt underneath which hugged her curves perfectly and also matched the style of the lobby.

“What can I help you with, gentlemen?” She asked politely, looking as if she was ready to tell them they had entered the wrong building, and to be honest, Sasuke couldn’t blame here for that. Two punks, dressed in ripped, faded jeans and old T-shirts, had just entered her impeccable lobby of pure perfection. And on top of all that, one seemed like he was trying to charm his way through.

“Well, you see,” Naruto began with that same smile of his which never once left his face. “We read the ad which said you needed janitors and we’re here to apply for the job,” He explained enthusiastically.

Sasuke saw the way she skeptically pulled her brow up and he inwardly rolled his eyes. Why had he agreed to go in there again? Oh yeah, he had been _dragged_ there. Well, at least he would take the pleasure in saying ‘I told you so’ when they finally exited. Seriously, Naruto could be so fucking dense at times. It was obvious from miles away that they didn’t belong in that building.

He saw the receptionist open her mouth, an apologetic smile already forming on her lips, and from the looks of it, she was just about to tell them off and send them on their merry way, when she was interrupted by a smooth baritone voice. Its rich sound came from behind Naruto and Sasuke and they both whipped their heads back to find a familiar face looking at them. One fine, dark eyebrow was pulled up in surprise, as the man continued to stare them down with something close to amusement. 

“It is a real pleasant surprise to see you two again, but if you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing here?” The man asked while the slightest trace of a smirk quirked one corner of his mouth up.  

* * *

I'm guessing you already know who that man is and I'm glad to announce that he's going to be a constant character in this fic from now on which is making me insanely happy because he is literally my bae. This chapter is the last one of the first arc of this story, meaning chapter 14 is the beginning of the second one. The plot will pick up considerably there and we'll have a lot of plot twists to sort through from then on.

Anyway, leave a review and I'll hopefully see you guys soon again.


	14. Things Are Looking Up

**A/N:**  I kinda decided to post this chapter early out of sheer boredom. For the last couple of days I've been going back and editing my previous chapters and OH MY GOD, why didn't anyone feel the need to tell me that I seem to have an addiction to unnecessary commas? But anyway, nothing plot-wise has been changed so you don't need to got back an reread anything. And so I'm posting this early not because I feel guilty for leaving you hanging for so long or anything. No, that has nothing to do with it, I promise!  
This chapter has a little surprise for all of you perverted readers out there (me included) so yeah, I really hope you like it, leave a review if you do, yada yada yada, on with the actual story!

* * *

 

_“It is a pleasant surprise to see you two again, but if you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing here?” The man asked while the slightest trace of a smirk quirked one corner of his mouth up._

Naruto and Sasuke were taken by surprise at seeing this man here. Although even if they didn’t know him all that well, if any at all, it actually made perfect sense that he would be working in a place like that one. Or at least he looked like he was coming to work, clad in a black expensive-looking tailored suit with a white shirt underneath and a tie in deep red. He was also carrying a small suitcase which only increased the air of authority around him.

“Wow, Itachi, I didn’t expect to see you here!” Naruto exclaimed loudly, smiling widely at the tall raven and apparently completely over his initial surprise.

The receptionist behind him made a small sound as if chocking on something after she heard this runt call her boss by his given name, but she was even more surprised when said boss didn’t react on it at all. If anything, he just seemed amused.

“Well, as a CEO I think I’m ought to be here,” The older Uchiha answered and this time there was unmistakably a smirk on his lips.  “Are you searching for someone?” He asked, looking between the two teens in his lobby.

“No, you see, we heard that you needed janitors here and we came to apply for the job. We had no idea we would run into you,” The blond explained, still smiling brightly.

Sasuke was still a little shocked by this encounter and as a result, a frown appeared on his face. He could feel that tension in his gut intensify as if it had been warning him all day about that moment exactly. And looking at Itachi… he again felt like there was something about this man. Something that he should know but didn’t and that it was very dangerous to be kept in the dark about it.

“I see. Well,” Itachi glanced at his watch briefly. “I still have half an hour before my meeting starts so if you’d like we can go up to my office and I’ll interview you,” He said, dropping the smirk and actually smiling ever so slightly at the two teens. The receptionist was even more surprised when she heard that and she had to wonder who were these boys and from where they knew her boss to be getting such special treatment.  

“Awesome!” Naruto exclaimed. “Lead the way,”

With a nod towards the dumbfounded receptionist, Itachi walked past her. Naruto sent the girl one last, wide smile and he turned around to follow the raven. He and Sasuke shared a look, the blond grinning while Sasuke was frowning and shaking his head a little as if trying to tell him that this was a bad idea. But Naruto didn’t seem to think so because he just rolled his eyes and turned his head forward again.

The older Uchiha led them through a hallway made much in the same style as the lobby until they reached a row of elevators. He walked towards the one to the far right and swiped a keycard over a small pad, apparently calling the car down.

Very soon they entered the sleek, wide elevator and the older male pushed the number twenty-three. The metal doors slid closed and they began their smooth descent up.

“I knew I had a good feeling about this,” Naruto said quietly, shifting from one foot to the other in excitement. He sounded a lot happier about all this than Sasuke. And really, why shouldn’t Naruto be happy about it? It sounded like the opportunity they were waiting for. If only there wasn’t that feeling inside the raven’s gut, irking him so much about this so-called ‘opportunity’.

Itachi smiled slightly. Seeing the tan boy so lively was a little contagious. He seemed to have that energy about him which made people warm up to him despite themselves and that was a very important and powerful quality to have.

A minute or two later the doors slid open again and the tree exited the elevator. The CEO led them to his office, nodding at his secretary on the way.

“Bring me a cup of coffee, please” He requested and she nodded courtly, immediately getting up from her seat.

They reached a big, dark-wood door with a golden plaque on it, stating the name and position of the man in front of them. Pushing the door open, Itachi invited his two guests inside. In a couple of big strides he walked around the giant desk and sat in the leather chair behind it, waiting for the two teens to sit in the chairs in front. Once they were all settled, he leaned forwards over his desk.

“Okay, we’ll skip the introductions, seeing as we already know each other,” The raven began. He laced his fingers and put his hands on top of the desk. “Let’s talk in terms of the job,” He suggested. He had transformed from Deidara’s nice boyfriend to the serious businessman everyone knew him to be in the matter of seconds. “Have you ever worked as janitors before?” He asked them seriously.

“We haven’t,” Naruto said truthfully, sounding a little awkward as he did. He didn’t seem so sure in their luck anymore. Sasuke thought that maybe, just maybe, the blond had started to see that they weren’t meant to be there. “But I promise we can do our best. We know the ropes, just haven’t done it professionally,” He added then and the raven next to him had to battle with the urge to roll his eyes.

Itachi raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t sure how to understand that statement. They’ve done it before, but not professionally? He could only take it as they had done it at home.

“Where exactly have you worked before?” He asked them. Truth be told, this wasn’t much of interview or at least he didn’t plan for it to be. A person doesn’t need a lot of qualities or a degree to be a janitor. Itachi was just curious about these boys. They just pique his interest in a way he couldn’t explain. Ever since they met in Chicago he’d sensed that there was something a little off about them. Not exactly in a bad way, but just something which made them different from most of the other teens he was used to seeing nowadays.

“We used to work as waiters not so long ago in our last year of high school,” Sasuke lied and he inwardly thanked god when Naruto didn’t react at all after that statement.

If Naruto wanted that job so badly then the raven would pay along. And after all, they were closer to getting a job now than they have been yesterday so why not take the chance while they had it? Also, as he said earlier, the feeling in his gut was no doubt there because of his sleepless night so he wouldn’t let it ruin things for them. If Sasuke had to be completely honest, it didn’t seem like such a bad place to work at so he was now determent to ignore his gut and what it was telling him in hopes to finally have a job and therefor an income. That was, after all, the most important step in their plan and he wouldn’t let some _feeling_ ruin it.

“Where did you go to high school?” The older Uchiha asked.

“Minnesota,” Sasuke answered. He wasn’t sure if Itachi actually believed what he was saying. He seemed to look at them with a sort of strange suspicion. As if he was expecting them to say the wrong thing any second now. But that was absurd, right? This man didn’t know anything about them so technically, even if they lied, he shouldn’t have a way to find out. Or at least they really hoped so.

“And why exactly would you like to work as janitors?” He asked, cocking his head to the side and Sasuke was on the verge of rolling his eyes. Would it ruin the interview if he said ' _because we don't feel like starving to death_ '?

“To be honest, everything will do. We’re just in need of money right now and we thought that finding a job might solve that,” Naruto said, drumming his fingers on his knees as he did so. He wasn’t exactly lying though he had the feeling that he wouldn’t be able to even if he tried.

“I see,” Itachi said, nodding his head as his eyes shifting from one boy to the other. He suddenly noticed a red mark peeking from underneath the collar of Alex’s shirt and he had to fight the urge to smirk. So Deidara had been right about them after all.

The Uchiha turned and picked up his phone, punching in a single number as he held the speaker to his ear. “Bring me two standard application forms with the coffee,” He said curtly and closed the phone.

Naruto sighed in relief when he heard that. It had been easier than he imagined even if it had been a little nerve wrecking. Who would have thought that it would be so easy to get a job in a place like that? Yeah, he’d had that feeling they might have luck but when they had entered the office he hadn’t been so sure anymore. The Uchiha was just very intimidating when he wanted to be and Naruto guessed that this was the reason behind his nerves.

“To be honest,” Itachi began after placing the phone back in its place. A small smile appeared on his face again. “I could have hired you even in the lobby. This was just a standard procedure. I know you’re good boys, or so Deidara says, and I’m going to trust that. I can see that you’re in need of a job right now if you’re going from place to place on foot so I’ll help you out with this,” He said, and once again, just like a couple of days before, they were amazed at how observant Itachi was. Well, he had been wrong on one thing and that was the good boy part, but they weren’t going to correct him on that. And Deidara had talked about them? Sasuke hoped this wasn’t the reason why Itachi seemed so suspicious of them while he was ‘interviewing’ them.

There was a knock on the door and a after a court ‘come in’, a petite woman walked in. She nodded at her boss and the two boys in the room, her eyes lingering for a second on them and something close to surprise crossed her face. It was strange to see some teens in street clothing just sitting casually in her boss’s office.

Quickly shifting her eyes away, she went to place the coffee and the requested forms on the desk. It occurred to her that maybe the forms were for these two and she briefly wondered who they were.

“You’re meeting starts in ten minutes, sir,” She reminded him and after receiving a nod from the CEO, she exited, quietly closing the door behind herself.

“I want you to fill in these,” Itachi began after they were alone again. “I’ll sign them and then you’ll go back to the first floor. Tenten, the receptionist, will tell you how to get to the office of the head of the janitors. He’ll tell you more about the shifts, when you’re going to start, and what is expected of you,” Itachi explained and after placing his signature on each of the forms, he gave them to the two teens across his desk.

Naruto took his, looking at it in disbelief. They’ve made it. They were finally going to have jobs and therefor money and then they were going to get an apartment and… A huge smile almost split his face in two as he looked up at, apparently, his new boss.

“Thank you so much!” He said and got up from his chair. He looked almost ready to run around the desk and give Itachi a hug. But before he could do so, Sasuke got up from his chair too and, taking the form with a nod, he turned around to exit.

“Thank you for your time,” He said politely and put his hand on the door handle. “Come on, Nathan, he has more important things to do,” He said over his shoulder and waited until Naruto was next to him to push the door open. He didn’t have to wait for long, that’s for sure, because right now, the blond was one big ball of energy and happiness.

With a secret roll of his eyes, Sasuke took a single step out the door and had to stop again before he bumped into a man who was dressed in a dark blue suit. He was just an inch or two taller than Sasuke and he had long, dark-brown hair and eyes so pale, he could have been blind. But apparently he wasn’t because he was studying intently the two teens who were just exiting Itachi’s office.

“Itachi, the meeting is going to start any minute now,” The man said smoothly, and although he was talking to the CEO, he was still looking at the two new faces, and to be more exact, at Sasuke.

“I’m coming Neji,” The Uchiha said, walking towards the door with that small suitcase in hand.

Sasuke put his hand on the small of Naruto’s back and began to push him towards the way they had come from. They had no more business being up there.

Neji waited until they were out of earshot to send the Uchiha a questioning look.

“Who were these kids?” He asked, waiting for the raven to close the door to his office.

“Nathan and Alex, they were here to apply for janitors,” Itachi answered nonchalantly, as if it was normal for him to interview people for janitors. These things weren’t usually in the CEO’s field of work. In a company as huge as this, there were people for everything and never before had Itachi interviewed someone for such a low position. Neji didn’t push any further, although he could sense that there was something not very right there. But either way, it wasn’t really his business.

* * *

“Can you believe it? Because I still can’t,” Naruto said for maybe the hundredth time that day, a wide smile on his face. It was near seven in the evening and they were half sitting, half lying on the backseat of the car, each propped up on the backdoors and with one foot up on the seat. Dark clouds had rolled in a couple of hours ago, hiding the sun completely and Naruto and Sasuke were pretty sure it would rain sometime this night. That’s why they weren’t on the back of the pickup like usual, but instead, inside the car.

With a roll of his now black eyes, Sasuke took a swig from his bottle of beer and placed it down on the floor again. They had just eaten their dinner and had bought some beers to celebrate their new and very first jobs. Their first work day would be tomorrow so they would have to take it easy, although a bottle or two never hurt anybody. Plus, it was worth the celebrating, or at least Naruto thought so.

After they had exited Itachi’s office and gone back to the first floor, they followed the Uchiha’s instructions and went back to the reception. The girl didn’t seem too surprised to see their already signed forms of application considering how the CEO himself had interviewed them. That pretty much said they had gotten the job through connections but who were they kidding, they could bet their car that ninety percent of everyone working there was the cousin of the aunt of the neighbor someone walked their dogs with. So with a smile Tenten had introduced herself and had given them pens to fill in the forms. Then, after they were done, she had explained to them how to get to the head of the janitors who was apparently on the second floor. They took a different elevator this time, seeing as the one they had used earlier was called with a keycard which only a handful of people had.

The office had been in the end of the hallway and considerably smaller and more cluttered, but that of course, was understandable. There they met with their direct boss, a man called Maito Gai who had shiny black hair in a bow-cut and the bushiest brows they had ever seen. He seemed nice enough, maybe too energetic but overall goodhearted. He had taken their forms and upon recognizing the CEO’s signature, had immediately put them away in a folder. Then, instead of a handshake, or whatever else you might expect from your new boss, he had run around his desk and given them each a bone-crushing hug. Even Naruto felt invaded after it so the blond didn’t waste his breath on asking Sasuke what was wrong the next twenty minutes. After that had been over they had been assigned to two other people with whom they were to work as a team until the end of next week. Something like a test period though they wouldn’t be tested, just taught.

Naruto was assigned to a chubby boy with ginger hair called Chouji while the one Sasuke would have to work with was called Kiba. A guy with shaggy brown hair and two red triangle tattoos on each cheek with whom Naruto seemed to kick it off instantly.

After that, they had been shown to the lounge room and the locker-rooms where they could change before and after their shifts. Then they were given their uniforms and work schedules and the two teens were happy to find out that both shared the same working hours. 

The whole ordeal, from start to finish, had taken them a good two hours so around lunch they finally exited the tall, corporate building. Ever since then Naruto had been in an especially good mood which seemed contagious because Sasuke wasn’t feeling too bad either.

And here they were now, employed, well fed, and happily lying on the backseat of their car, listening to music from the radio and drinking beer.

“Just think about everything we would be able to do in three weeks,” Naruto said after he was done singing to the song currently playing. “It would be so cool. We could finally find a real place to live in and we’ll afford nice food and new clothes and comfy beds and hot water and… damn I can’t wait,” He said, staring at the ceiling as he lifted his bottle to his lips.

“Hn, sounds way better than the hard surface of the back of the pickup and the two pairs of jeans we’ve been wearing for the past two weeks,” Sasuke mused, tapping his foot to the rhythm of the song. It was hard to believe that just two weeks ago they were still in the juvenile center. It seemed like such a longer time since they escaped but maybe it was that so much stuff had changed around and between them which made it feel like way longer.

“Yeah,” Naruto said, already feeling the buzz from the alcohol. This day couldn’t have gone better. Things seemed like they were finally looking up for them. They would very soon have money, already had new identities and weren’t chased by the cops anymore and let’s not forget the fact that they were together. And not only together, as in spending every day in each other’s company, but also together together. Seriously, Naruto felt like such an idiot for not noticing it earlier. The way his eyes had always lingered on Sasuke and how he never had ceased to admire how the raven looked and moved and talked no matter how many times he had seen it. How he always felt better when Sasuke was in a good mood, how he himself seemed to always be calmer and happier around the raven. The way he had always searched for ways to touch him and be close to him. Everything had led to that point and he was very glad that they had crossed the line between friendship and an actual relationship. Because now he didn’t have to think there was something wrong with him whenever he felt like kissing Sasuke or wanting him close. He could just do it now instead of overthinking it all the time.

“Stop thinking so much, I’m afraid you’re going to hurt yourself,” Sasuke said with a smirk, drinking the last of his beer while nudging Naruto’s knee slightly with his. He locked eyes with the blond, letting him see the clear amusement there.

Naruto nudged him right back, letting a smirk find its way to his face too.

“Didn’t know you cared so much,” The blond said, making Sasuke roll his eyes at the statement.

“Of course I don’t idiot, it’s just that you were starting to cloud the car with all the smoke coming out of your ears,” The raven answered and he heard Naruto snort.

“Smartass,” He muttered and reached for the pack of cigarettes on the floor, picking it up along with the lighter. He lit a stick and then put his other foot up on the seat, bending them both in the knees. He then rolled down the window behind him some more to let the smoke out of the car.

Sasuke watched from across the backseat as his boyfriend took a drag, the strong jaw moving and the tan cheeks hollowing a little. Then Naruto turned his head upwards to make a couple of smoke rings, giving Sasuke a perfect view of his long neck and the hickey peeking from underneath the collar of his blue shirt. The raven subconsciously lifted his hand to place it over the tender part of his neck where Naruto had left a mark on him too and he felt warmth spread through him at the memory.

Apparently feeling the intense gaze on himself Naruto looked at Sasuke, cocking his head to the side in question.

“What?” He asked, blinking a little as smoke rose from his cigarette and passed over his face.

Instead of answering, Sasuke moved until he was on his knees, placing his hands on Naruto’s so he could spread them and move forward between the blond’s legs, not once braking eye contact.

Naruto seemed completely calm with what was happening, his only reaction was that his eyes had begun to hood. Staring at Sasuke, he brought the cigarette to his lips and took a long drag, filling his lungs completely and enjoying the way the black eyes had latched onto his mouth. He was especially pleased when the raven licked his lips while watching Naruto’s wrap around the cigarette. Then he moved his head back again so he wouldn’t blow the smoke in Sasuke’s face and locked his gaze with black eyes through the smoke.

He hadn’t exhaled completely when Sasuke suddenly moved forward, capturing his lips and also the last of the smoke that was exiting his mouth. The raven soon began to move his lips and his hands shifted from Naruto’s knees, slowly up his thighs and then to his sides until they reached the blond’s face.

The Uchiha swiped his tongue over Naruto’s bottom lip and was immediately granted access to the wet cavern beyond. He tasted like beer and smoke but it didn’t bother him at all because soon they were engaged in a fierce tongue battle which made their knees feel weak and their insides warm.

One pale hand had found its way in thick, blond locks, while the other was still holding Naruto’s cheek, slightly caressing the smooth skin there with his thumb. At some point Naruto had thrown the cigarette out of the window and his hands were now locked behind Sasuke’s neck, pulling him as close as possible, thighs rubbing Sasuke’s sides while the kiss progressed.

Soon they had to take a break for air and, panting slightly, Sasuke pressed his forehead to the tan one below. Breaths mingling, they gazed into each other’s eyes while Naruto’s fingers played with the dark locks at the base of Sasuke’s neck, making the raven shudder slightly at the feeling and therefore, the blond smirk at that.

“So, I take it you like me, huh?” Naruto asked quietly, making Sasuke snort.

“Took you long enough to realize it,” He answered, lifting himself up a little to have a better look at the teen below him.

“Well I don’t know, you never said anything,” Naruto shrugged one shoulder, looking at the raven with big, innocent eyes.

“Tch, moron, I didn’t think it was necessary,” Sasuke rolled his eyes.

“I think it is,” The blond said, playfully tugging at the black strands of hair around his fingers. Sasuke snorted at that but complied none the less.

“Fine, if I hadn’t made it clear enough until now, I like you,” Sasuke said, giving his boyfriend and amused look when a huge grin overtook his features.

“Aaw, that was so unexpected!” Naruto exclaimed and then suddenly frowned. “But wait! Like, or like-like?” He asked, trying to look for all he was worth serious.

“How’s that for an answer?” Sasuke asked quietly as he got closer again, covering Naruto’s lips with his once more. They didn’t deepen the kiss this time and just moved lips against lips but after a while Naruto pulled back a little so he could look up into the raven’s eyes again.

“I think I might need just a little more reassurance,” He said in a low voice and watched as a smirk appeared on Sasuke’s red and swollen lips.

He expected Sasuke to kiss him on the mouth again after that but instead the raven lowered his head to place a series of kisses on his jaw. Then, using the hand that was still on Naruto’s cheek, he titled the blond’s head back and began to move downward, over his neck one kiss at a time.

Sasuke was listening intently for every sharp intake of breath so he would know where to linger a tad bit longer, where to lick and sometimes place a playful bite.

“Are you assured enough yet?” Sasuke whispered against Naruto’s neck, feeling how his boyfriend’s pulse quickened underneath his lips at the words. Or maybe it was just the sound of his voice, Naruto himself didn’t know.

“Maybe,” The blond answered, sounding out of breath and locking his ankles on Sasuke’s lower back so he could pull him closer. He felt the raven smirk against his skin before biting down on it, making Naruto groan in surprise at the unexpected move. Sasuke’s hands had also began to move again, roaming the blond’s torso until one of them found the hem of his shirt and began to lift it ever so slowly, exposing the tan skin while he sucked on Naruto’s neck.

He soon pulled up, making the blond to let go of his hair. He admired the fresh mark he had made on his boyfriend’s neck and then he let his gaze roam the form underneath him. Naruto was flushed and breathing heavily, his shirt was pulled up above his naval and there was an unmistakable bulge in his pants. Sasuke felt proud, looking smugly at the tent in Naruto’s jeans which twitched at the attention.

“See something you like?” Naruto asked smugly, making Sasuke look up to his face again.

“I think so, yeah,” He answered with a smirk and put his hand over the clad erection, rubbing it slowly enough that it would only frustrate Naruto further.

His plan seemed to work because Naruto threw his head back with a groan, arching eagerly into the touch.

“Don’t tease me,” He groaned, moving his hips to hopefully increase the friction.

“Oh, and what would you like me to do instead?” Sasuke asked, amusement dancing in his eyes as he lowered himself again over Naruto, pushing his shirt further up and flicking his tongue over a pink nipple, feeling it harden under it's ministrations.

“Ngh, I don’t know, something,” Naruto said, arching his back off the seat again.

“You don’t know? Don’t you think it’s dangerous to give me so much freedom?” He asked and suddenly he closed his fingers around the erection in his hand, making Naruto moan again.

“Maybe it is,” Naruto said through panta, his eyes closed. But then he lifted his eyelids to lock them with Sasuke’s again. “But I trust you,” He added seriously after which Sasuke’s eyes were immediately in half-mast.

“Good,” He said and leaned down to capture Naruto’s lips with his again while the hand which was palming Naruto through his jeans began to move.

Naruto moaned into the kiss when he felt Sasuke’s fingers fumble with the button on his jeans. It was soon opened and then he could feel, as much as he could hear the zipper going down too. Soon his jeans were pulled down to the middle of his thighs and now, with one less garment in the way, Sasuke resumed the movement of his hand while sliding downwards, once again paying close attention to the skin on Naruto’s neck.

The blond’s hands were buried in the dark locks. He was panting and couldn’t decide if he wanted to pull on Sasuke’s hair or push his head down. In the end he did neither as he moved his head to the side, giving the raven more room to work on his neck.

With one last bite to the tan collarbone, Sasuke pulled up again, stopping the motion of his hand over Naruto’s crotch. The blond pouted at the loss of friction and he got up to a setting position, taking off his shirt in the process. He once again united their lips and began to tug at Sasuke’s shirt too, wanting the cloth off.

Sasuke smirked into the kiss, mainly at Naruto’s impatience but he pulled away just barely to allow his boyfriend to rid him of his shirt anyway. It seemed like Naruto wanted to push Sasuke back so he would be on top this time but the raven was having none of that. He was in control right now and it would stay like that for as long as he felt like it. Plus, he had something in mind so instead of lying down on his back like Naruto wanted him, he initiated another heated kiss to distract Naruto while grabbing the blond’s bare shoulders so he could push him to his back, following him down and resuming their previous position.

“You bossy bastard,” Naruto said with a smirk when he pulled away from the kiss at one point.

“Hn,” Sasuke answered with a smirk of his own and lowered his head to give Naruto’s chest the attention he thought it deserved. His hand once again found the bulge between Naruto’s legs but this time around, the long slender fingers slid underneath Naruto’s briefs to close around his erection properly instead of palming it through his underwear.

Sasuke was pleased to hear the moan that escaped the blond’s lips and continued to kiss, lick and bite down Naruto’s chest. Looking up at the other’s face, he found the blue eyes focused on him as his mouth moved down Naruto’s body, now ghosting over his abs. Enjoying the focus of Naruto’s eyes, Sasuke trailed his tongue down the smooth skin on the blond’s navel, feeling the muscles underneath it shift and tighten.

Sasuke tongue was leaving a trail of liquid fire on Naruto’s skin and one of the blond’s hands found its way in the black locks again. He then groaned when Sasuke used his thumb to massage the head of his leaking cock. But that was the last thing the hand did before Sasuke pulled it out of Naruto’s underwear, making his boyfriend whimper slightly at the loss.

“I swear that if you stop now I’ll make you sleep in the back under the rain,” Naruto growled, trying to glare at Sasuke. It wasn’t a very effective glare when it was on someone who was panting heavily, almost naked and flushed so much, but he at least tried.

“I wasn’t planning to,” Sasuke answered and without braking eye contacted started nipping on a tan hipbone. Then, before the blond could say anything else, Sasuke grabbed the hem of his briefs and pulled them down, finally letting Naruto’s cock free from its confinements. He then used one hand the grab it at the base, stroking it slowly while he continued to suck and bite at the blond’s hipbone.

Sasuke was rather pleased to see Naruto throw his head back and screw his eyes shut in pleasure. The raven pulled up and Naruto tried to thrust in his hand but Sasuke used his other one to place it on his thigh, stopping his movement and continuing his frustratingly slow stroking, his face just a couple of inches away from his boyfriend’s cock.

“Why do you keep teasing me so much?” Naruto groaned through clenched teeth.

Sasuke laughed a little at the pleading way the blond’s words sounded and felt the erection in his hand twitch when his warm breath hit it.

“Then I’m guessing that you want something else?” He asked conversationally, his hand ceasing all movement, holding Naruto by the base and making him groan in frustration again.

“What was your first hint?” Naruto asked, propping himself up on his elbows so he could try to glare at Sasuke once more and miserably fail at it again.

“I’m asking you again, Naruto,” Sasuke purred his name at the end and licked his lips slowly, watching how the blue eyes hooded further at the sight. “What do you want?” He asked, his voice making Naruto’s hairs stand on end.

Naruto was perfectly aware of what Sasuke wanted to do, standing so close to his dick that every breath he let out hit it, but the smug bastard wanted Naruto to ask for it first. Not like he wasn’t beyond aroused at the thought but he felt kinda embarrassed to have to ask for it. Like he was desperate or something which he totally was, but damn it, Sasuke didn’t need to know that.

“I want you to,” Naruto swallowed tickly. “To let me cum, damnit!” He finished at which Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

“And how do you wish I do that?” The raven asked, amusement easily read in his eyes at Naruto’s discomfort for having to say it.

“Fuck, just blow me already!” Naruto exclaimed and watched as a smirk slowly spread on Sasuke’s face.

“What’s the magic word?” Sasuke deeply enjoyed torturing Naruto like that and he would count it as a great victory to make his boyfriend beg.

“Damn it,” Naruto muttered, closing his eyes briefly and taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself. It was incredibly arousing for Naruto to see his boyfriend hovering over his cock and smirking at him like that with those swollen lips of his. And, damn, how he wanted to feel those lips on him right now. But apparently, to have his wish granted, he had to swallow his pride and beg for it.

He contemplated it for a total of two seconds and then sighed as the decision was made.

“Fine! Sasuke, suck me off until I cum, please,” He finally said, flushing further because of his words and how needy they sounded, especially when they had come out more as a whine than a command.

The raven felt his already tight pants tighten further when he heard Naruto pleading. He had to shift his legs a little, spreading them as much as possible so he could ease the pressure on his straining erection. But this wasn’t about him right now and he would endure.

“With pleasure,” He whispered and slowly licked Naruto’s cock from the base to the tip. Then, finally opening his mouth, he took the head of Naruto’s cock in, greatly enjoying the long moan that came out of the blond’s mouth. He tasted on his tongue the slightly bitter precum that had pooled on the tip and he was surprised that it actually made his own dick jump in his pants. Ignoring that, he wasted no time and immediately hollowed his cheeks, sucking and using his tongue to circle the cockhead in his mouth. He then lowered his head further, taking more of Naruto in who was by now reduced to a moaning panting mess.

The blond had never felt such pleasure before and Sasuke seemed awfully skilled at what he was doing. He was alternating between licking his shaft while going down and sucking while he pulled up and the suction was sending Naruto on cloud nine.

He lifted his head to look at the raven and almost came at the sight before him. There, between his legs, Sasuke held eye contact with him while his red and swollen lips were wrapped around Naruto’s cock, his head bobbing up and down.

Groaning, Naruto fisted one hand in Sasuke’s dark locks and bit his lips at the arousing picture in front of him.

“Sasuke, ngh, you’re so, fuck,” Naruto’s breathing hitched after an especially hard suck. “You’re so damn good at that,” He finally managed to pant out, never once daring to close his eyes, not wanting to miss a single second of what he was seeing. He wouldn’t last much longer anyway.

Feeling bolder, Sasuke decided to bring an edge to what he was doing and the next time he moved his head up, he pushed the tip of is tongue into Naruto’s slit while scraping his teeth lightly just below the head. He was very pleased when the hold on his hair tightened and Naruto’s next moan was considerably longer. The blond also tried to thrust up in his mouth but Sasuke used his grip on the tan hips to stop his movements.

He lifted his mouth from the cock entirely, letting it slip out of it and dragged his open mouth down the shaft, to the base and then back up, tracing the vain on the underside with his tongue and then putting pressure on it just below Naruto’s cockhead as he closed his mouth around him again.

Then Sasuke moved one of his hands down, using it to unfasten his jeans and pull his own erection out, relieving it from the strain of his clothes and giving it a pump or two. Then he used that same hand, soiled with his own precum, to grab and fondle Naruto’s balls, bringing him extremely close to the edge if his moaning was anything to go by.

Naruto began to pull at his hair, his breathing getting even more ragged than before.

“Shit, Sasuke, I’m gonna, ngh,” He didn’t get to finish his sentence though, because in one go, Sasuke had taken him to the base, swallowing around him while massaging the tender skin below Naruto's balls and watching him with amusement as his words had turned into another loud moan. There was just something empowering in having someone at your mercy even if it was with their cock deep in your throat.

Feeling his dick touch the back of Sasuke’s throat, Naruto couldn’t hold it anymore. He was about to cum and the raven felt it. He saw the muscles on Naruto's lower belly clench, he felt the balls in his hand tighten and the cock in his mouth swell so he began to pull back. But apparently he wasn’t fast enough because the first ribbons of cum spilled in his mouth and on his tongue, surprising Sasuke and even making him choke a little. He coughed, swallowing some of the cum in the process while the rest spilled from the corners of his mouth. The raven pulled away but obviously Naruto wasn’t done because more semen spurted out of his dick, landing on Sasuke’s face.

So far, this had been the most intense orgasm in Naruto’s life and he thought he might have a second one just looking at Sasuke right now. The raven was flushed red and panting from the lack of air, his lips were swollen and glistening with saliva and to top it all off, he was covered with Naruto’s marks and cum while still smirking and holding his gaze.

The blond used his hand to drag the other teen up on top of him again.

“That was fucking amazing. And sorry about… you know. Tried to warn you but,” He shrugged and didn’t finish. Wiping some of his cum from his boyfriend’s face, he leaned up to kiss him and something animalistic in him awakened after he tasted himself on Sasuke’s tongue.  There was this possessiveness that overtook him, induced by the knowledge that he had marked the raven as his both on the outside and the inside.

“Let me help you with that,” Naruto whispered huskily in Sasuke’s ear when he pulled away from the kiss, using his other hand to grab the raven’s already bare erection. Nipping at Sasuke’s earlobe and neck, he wasted no time in beginning to move his hand up and down the hard shaft, making his boyfriend moan. Sasuke fisted his hand in Naruto’s hair and very soon, with a rather loud moan, the Uchiha bit harshly on Naruto’s shoulder and spilled his seed over the tan stomach and in the hand still working him. Sasuke then collapsed on top of Naruto, feeling drained from his orgasm.

They laid there, panting heavily for a while. For the first time they heard the heavy raindrops which were drumming on the roof of the car, the windows and the back of the pickup. It almost sounded like a lullaby combined with the soft sounds of the radio and they just laid in the car, listening to it in silence until their heartbeats and breathing went back to normal.

Naruto was moving soothingly his clean hand up and down Sasuke’s back, absentmindedly drawing patterns on the pale skin. He felt like he could stay like that for the rest of his life but then Sasuke shifted and they both frowned because of the sticky feeling of the cum which had begun to dry on their skin.

With a twist of his lips, Sasuke reached for the roll of toilet paper underneath the passenger seat and got up enough so he could clean himself as best as he could.

Naruto observed him silently while Sasuke refastened his jeans and cleaned himself. His features were relaxed and his hair ruffled. He looked just perfect at the moment and the blond couldn’t help but smile at the face of disgust his boyfriend made while rubbing at his chest.

“What?” Sasuke asked him, ceasing the movement of his hand and looking at him.

“You missed some,” Naruto said, his smile widening further as he got up too and took some toilet paper himself, cleaning Sasuke’s chin and collarbone.

“Well it’s your fault it got there in the first place,” The raven said, playfully glaring at the blond.

“Oh yeah? If you didn’t want that to happen, then what were you doing between my legs if you don’t mind me asking?” Naruto shot back with a grin, having won the unofficial fight.

“Shut up,” Sasuke said with a smirk and a roll of his eyes. He then threw the soiled paper at Naruto who just laughed at him and got around to cleaning himself.

That day couldn’t have gotten any better.

* * *

Shikamaru dragged the last two photos in the separate folder he had created, finally closing the program he and his father had developed last night and allowing himself to lean back in his chair with a tired sigh. He closed his eyes for a minute, realizing just how tired he was after he had done so. In fact, he thought he might have trouble opening his eyes again. The brunet could feel them burn and itch under his eyelids. And how could they not? He had been staring at a big ass computer screen for close to twenty four hours. It was a miracle he could still see properly.

“I think I might head home for the night,” He announced, sounding almost asleep. “I believe you can manage without me from here on out. I don’t even know how these two look anyway,” He added and turned in his chair. With one last sigh, he got up from his seat and opened his eyes again.

“Thank you so much, sweetie,” Kushina said and got up from her seat too. “I don’t even know how I’m ever going to repay you,” She said, and putting her hands on the boy’s shoulders, she hugged him close to her chest.

Shikamaru returned the hug a little awkwardly, feeling almost ashamed when she finally pulled away.

“It was no big deal,” He said, scratching the bag of his head lazily. “Just make sure you bring them here when you find them. They’ve piqued my interest,”

“Sure thing,” Mikoto said with a smile, getting up from her chair. She patted the Nara on the shoulder and then headed for the kitchen area. “I think I need a small break. Who’s up for some tea?” She asked, opening a cupboard and shuffling for a while through its contents until she found what she was searching for.

“Count me in,” Kakashi said through a yawn, spinning in his chair to look at the dark haired woman.

“I wouldn’t mind a cup too,” Minato said, putting his hands behind his neck and letting his head fall back. He didn’t know if he was more concerned or relieved when he heard a joint pop.

“Well okay then, I’ll be going. Kakashi, I’m leaving you the keys to the office on the coffee table,” Shikamaru said. He wished them all good night and made his way to the door. He was just about to reach for the handle when it was pushed down and the door opened, and in walked Shikaku.

“You’re finally going home, huh?” He asked with a smile.

“Yeah. Need to sleep on a bed once in a while,” He said and his father couldn’t help but notice the dark circles that had formed under his son’s eyes.

“Okay then, say hi to your mom from me,” He said and with a pat on Shikamaru’s shoulder, he walked into the room and to the lounge area. He placed on the table a big plastic bag from which were carried all sorts of delicious scents.

They had been living off of coffee and takeout food for some time now, but it least saved them some time and effort. Tonight they had gotten a lot closer to what they were searching for then they were the night before. Going through photos worth of three days for four different places was a very tiresome thing to do, but now at least, they had a new folder on that huge screen, full of photos that could potentially be of their sons.

After they have dinner, they would start looking at them more closely. Shikamaru had pulled out a photoshop program with which they could change the eye and hair colors of the people in these pictures, so if Naruto and Sasuke were using some sort of disguise, they’d still be able to recognize them somewhat.

The photos weren’t that much to begin with so they hoped that in just a couple of hours they would know at least the direction their sons had headed to. And considering there were no new signals of them being seen, it was safe to assume they had kept their disguise. Once they find them in the photos, they would also now how they look right now. It wasn’t that much of an advantage, but it was nice to know what to look for.

“What did you bring us?” Kushina asked, being the first one to sit on the couch in front of the table. The others soon followed her and they were only waiting for Mikoto to bring the tea and also herself to the table.

“I got some sushi and rice. I remember you used to like that a lot,” Shikaku said as he begun to pull out the boxes from the bag.

“Oh, I haven’t had sushi in such a long while,” Mikoto said, finally appearing from the kitchen and, placing down the tea she had brought, she sat down next to Kushina. “There are chopsticks too, right?” She asked with a smile.

“Well I ordered some, I hope they put them there,” Shikaku said and after a minute of some more shuffling, he finally pulled them out.

Once they were all equipped with their utensils, the food was spread on the table and all sighed at the smell that rose from it.

“Itadakimasu,” They said in unison and not a second later, all began to eat. It didn’t matter how much time they were in the States, some traditions couldn’t be forgotten. They all spoke fluent Japanese, just didn’t use it often, though it was always nice to hear your native tongue when you were so far away from your origins. The small customs from the Japanese etiquette was what still tied them to their roots.

They didn’t talk much through their late diner and just enjoyed their food for a while. They still had work to do after they were done eating and Minato, Kushina and Mikoto sincerely hoped today was the last time they visited this computer room for that purpose. If they had luck, in a couple of hours they’d be back in Kakashi’s apartment, sleeping, and ready to hit the road the next morning towards whatever direction their sons had gone to. If they found them tonight, it’s be easier to track them from now on because they’d know what disguise Naruto and Sasuke were using and therefor, using some connections, could ask people from other headquarters around the country to be on the lookout for them too.

They just hoped this would go according to their plan. And if it did, well, in just a couple of weeks, they’d be reunited with their children.

The door handle was pushed down again and all heads whipped to look at the newcomer, all expecting to see Shikamaru there. But they were all disappointed when instead, in the doorway stood the chief of the Aurora HQ, a small frown already breaking on his features.

“What is the meaning of this?” The man asked, crossing his hands over his chest and beginning to tap his foot on the floor impatiently.

This definitely wasn’t a part of Minato’s plans.

* * *

 **A/N:** Yaay, they finally got themselves jobs! Also, I'm super in love with Itachi and that's probably why he's the hardest for me to write. He's just such a complicated character that you have to take into account a lot so he wouldn't seem too much OOC. Did I make it? Did you like him? I sure hope so because he would be in almost every chapter from here on out until the end of the story. Next chapter will be up in two weeks and it is one I'm actually very much in love with because it was pretty fun to write and just has that peaceful vibe to it. Anyway, leave me a review and I'll see you guys next time.

 

 

 


	15. Undercover

**A/N** : Yay, Chapter 15 is finally up ^^! For some reason I really love that one so I just hope that you will like it too. Now, in case you do, don't be shy and leave me a review.

* * *

It was little after six thirty in the morning when Naruto and Sasuke parked their car on the street to the side of the enormous corporate building. They weren’t sure if they could park it on the main parking lot in case the places there were already reserved or they had to pay for a spot so they didn’t risk it. That morning they had woken up rather early because they wanted to get there before their shift started, and not because they were very worried about being late, they just wanted to take showers. After their activities from yesterday, as pleasant as they were, the duo didn’t smell exactly like a bouquet of roses so they had decided to take advantage of what they could.

Walking in, they greeted the receptionist and continued to the elevators so they could get to the locker rooms and the showers which were in the basement. If you could even call it that. It was just as nice as any other room in that building and nothing like the associations people usually made with the word ‘basement’.

Reaching their assigned lockers, Naruto and Sasuke unlocked them with the keys they had been given yesterday. After that they both stripped to their boxers and, each with a clean pair in hand, made their way to the metal door at the other side of the room which led to the shower area.

They didn’t talk much, both still rather sleepy. Not like they had gone to bed all that late, but for the first time in a long while they had to get up so early. Ever since they escaped they had gotten used to sleeping until whenever they felt like getting up and also, let’s not forget that neither of them had had coffee or breakfast yet.

Turning on the showers in their respective stalls, there was a collective sigh which could be heard from both of the teens. It was just so nice to feel the hot spray of water beating down their backs, relaxing and refreshing them all in the same time. They didn’t stand under it for long though, and very soon began scrubbing themselves clean with the soap bars they had bought the other day.

In under five minutes Naruto and Sasuke were clean and already exiting the shower area. They made their way back to their lockers to put on the uniforms. It was summer so the uniforms didn’t consist of that much. It was just a black jumpsuit without sleeves, made of very light, and surprisingly comfy denim. On the back of it was the company’s logo which was an eye with a red iris and three black commas in it. They could wear anything below the jumpsuits as long as it wasn’t a tank top and their shoulders were covered.

“That was one of the best showers I’ve had in a long while. Certainly can’t compare to that hotel’s bathroom,” Naruto commented while pulling on a green T-shirt and then grabbing the suit.

“Hn, definitely a lot more cleaner,” Sasuke agreed.

“Yup, guess that at some point it’s gonna be our turn to see to that,” Naruto said thoughtfully and noticed Sasuke scowl from beside him while he pulled his hair back up in it’s now usual ponytail.

No matter how long he had been wearing it that way, Naruto was still amazed at how good it looked on the raven. It showed a lot more of his face and its perfect pale skin and high cheekbones, making Sasuke look even more attractive than before. And those shorter strands which always escaped the ponytail and hung loosely around his face gave him an air of casualness, but also made him look all the more sexy. Only thing which irked the blond was that Sasuke’s eyes weren’t their usually black, but instead were dark blue. Although he understood perfectly well that he had no right to complain about it. Naruto himself was almost always put off by his own reflection every time he saw it so he could only imagine how Sasuke felt looking at him and his wig.

Realizing he had been staring, Naruto shook his head to get rid of his musings and noted with relief that Sasuke hadn’t noticed him zoning out.

“Okay, bastard, let’s go get you some coffee, we still have like, fifteen minutes until the shift actually starts,” Naruto said cheerfully after he was done lacing his shoes. Then he sent Sasuke a playful smirk and turned around to exit the lockers. He was in a good mood because today had to be a good day. It was the first step of their plan to starting all over and he was very excited about it. Now he just hoped that very soon they’ll be able to find a place to live at and stop sleeping in the car and he would feel even better.

They made their way back to the elevator which had brought them there and went to the second floor where the lounge room was. Pushing the door open, Naruto strode in with the raven in toll and they both took in the strong, mouthwatering smell of coffee.

“Yo, what’s up?” Kiba greeted them with a grin from the couch he and Chouji were currently occupying and then took a sip from the cup in his hands.

The room was very big and had a lot of windows through which the first morning rays of sunlight had begun to stream. The only wall on which there weren’t any windows had a long counter and a lot of cupboards above it. There was also a TV where the cupboards ended but right now, Sasuke was more interested in what was _on_ the counter. And there, surrounded by jars of white and brown sugar, and many mugs and little cups, stood a coffee machine with a pot, almost filled to the brim.

“Nothing much,” Naruto said and went to sit on the leather couch across their new friends.

“Yeah, same. We’re just waiting now for Izumo and Kotetsu to get here,” Kiba said and Naruto just nodded. He hoped they were cool but he’d obviously meet them very soon so he didn’t ask.

“Hey Alex, would you bring me some coffee too?” He then asked, turning his head to look at the raven who was generously pouring himself a cup.

“Do I look like a maid?” He asked while searching for a spoon to use so he could put some sugar in his coffee.

“You sure you want me to answer that?” Naruto snickered and completely ignored the glare he received. He didn’t get why Sasuke still tried to glare him down when it never worked anyway. If anything, Naruto was always amused by it.

“You aren’t the one paying me so go and make your own coffee,” He said and went to sit next to Naruto, taking a sip from his cup an then placing it on the table in front of himself.

“Tch, you’re so not fun!” The blond whined, sliding lower in his seat and looking at his boyfriend with a pout. Said boyfriend just rolled his eyes at the behavior. “If you won’t make me a coffee, then I’ll just drink yours,” He muttered under his nose with a mischievous smirk and before Sasuke could process his words, Naruto had already taken his cup.

Instead of stopping him though, the raven just watched as his boyfriend lifted the cup to his lips. He only arched an eyebrow, waiting for Naruto to do it, almost challenging him to, and of course, the blond could never turn down a challenge.

“Eew, what the fuck, how do you even drink that!?” Naruto exclaimed once he finally took a gulp, a huge grimace on his face at the bitter taste. “Do you make yourself suffer on purpose?”

“Tch, idiot, just because you drink yours like a five year old, doesn’t mean I do too,” Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Now give me back my coffee,”

“Jesus, I think that killed all of my taste-buds. No wonder you’re always in such a bad mood,” Naruto said as he got up from his seat. “I mean, if I had to drink that every day, I’d be feeling pretty awful too,” Naruto explained, a fake shiver running down his body when he remembered the bitter taste.

“Shut up and stop acting like a child,” Sasuke said, sending Naruto a deadpan look.

“You shut up and go drink that thing you call a coffee. I’m making my own, which by the way, won’t taste like ass,” He said, going to the counter.

“And since when do you know what ass tastes like?” The raven arched a brow in amusement.

“Since you let me take a sip from the liquid one in your cup?” Naruto countered back. “You could have at least warned me, you know!” He said, sending the raven a foul look over his shoulder. “Like, be nice to me at least once,” Naruto muttered at the end though it was loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

“I was nice yesterday, wasn’t I?” Sasuke asked conversationally, hiding a smirk behind his cup and watching with amusement as Naruto’s hand froze on the handle of the pot for a second. He could bet a lot that his boyfriend had gone red in the face.

“Shut up, bastard! What, you have a limit of niceness now?” He asked, not daring to turn around and face the others while he stirred his coffee.

The raven decided he wouldn’t answer that while they had an audience because he was sure that no matter how subtly he said it, everyone would catch up on the innuendo. So instead his smirk just widened as he took another sip of his drink.

Meanwhile, the other two were just looking from one boy to the other. One look at them could tell you they really wanted to laugh but weren’t sure if they should.

“Hey, you have some milk around here?” Naruto asked at one point and Kiba pointed towards the refrigerator to the blond’s right.

“How long have you two known each other?” Chouji asked, an amused smile dancing on his lips.

“Around fourteen years,” Naruto answered, sounding bitter as he made his way back to the sofa.

Kiba whistled at his answer.

“And you’re like that all the time? Jesus, how have you survived for so long?” He asked, looking amazed and shaking his head when the new janitors shrugged their shoulders at his question.

“It isn’t easy around him at all, so I’ll tell you how I’ve managed not to kill him. You see, Nathan is like a small child, if you’re too nice to him, he would never leave you alone,” Sasuke said as if that explained everything.

“And he,” Naruto nodded his head in Sasuke’s direction. “Is like an old man. It always has to be quiet around him or he gets pissed and glares, and he’s always angry at the world in general!”

“If you haven’t noticed, moron, it’s usually only you who I’m angry with,” Sasuke said, sending the blond another deadpan look.

“Aaw, did you just call me your whole world?” Naruto asked in a sugar-coated voice, though there was triumph in his eyes for having though of that comeback. And he only felt better when he heard Kiba snort in his own cup.

“No, I just called you a nuisance,” The raven answered evenly and then took another sip of his coffee, showing just how used they were to talking to each other that way.

“And yet, you’ve kept in touch for fourteen years,” Chouji said matter-of-factly, one eyebrow pulled up and a small smirk on his lips.

“Well, yeah, we didn’t have a lot of choice either way. Our families are friends so we were basically forced to grow up together,” Naruto said with a shrug and was happy with the lie he managed to come up with. It would definitely explain a lot to the others and they wouldn’t feel the need to ask them why they are always coming or leaving together, or why they seem so familiar with each other. Perfect.

“Is this fresh meat I’m smelling?” Someone suddenly said at the same time the door connected with the wall as it was literally slammed open.

Both frowning, Naruto and Sasuke whipped their heads to look at the newcomers while Kiba and Chouji only rolled their eyes, apparently used to that behavior.

In the room walked two men, maybe in their mid-twenties. One had brown hair which covered half of his face while the other had black hair, spiked up in all kinds of directions.

“Don’t mind him, he’s sometimes a little crazy when he’s running low on sleep,” The one with his face covered said. “By the way, I’m Izumo and this freak is Kotetsu,” Izumo said and walked towards the coffee machine.

“I’m Nathan and this is Alex. Why hasn’t he slept?” Naruto asked, looking a little wary at the man who sat on the armchair closest to him. The guy was looking at him a little strangely and it was more or less unnerving the blond. He had had to deal with psychos before but this time it was apparently a co-worker so he wasn’t sure how to react.

“Oh boy, you just had go and ask, didn’t you?” Kiba said, sounding and looking exasperated as he put his head in his hands.

Naruto just looked at him with confusion, then at Sasuke who just shrugged, apparently as confused about it as Naruto, but before the blond could ask Kiba what he meant, Kotetsu started talking.

“Well, to be honest, I prefer not to sleep if it is for the same reasons why I didn’t sleep last night! And let me tell you, young boys, I didn’t sleep because I had some hot, steamy sex and it was too good to go only one round and so two rounds turned into three and then before we knew it, it was almost four in the morning,” The man said with a broad smile, apparently very content.

“That’s exactly why, my newbies, you never ask Kotetsu why he hasn’t slept!” Kiba said with a pointed look. “You should be happy he spared you the details, some of us hadn’t been as lucky,” The brunet then added as a shiver ran down his body at the memory.

Naruto and Sasuke just shared a look again and while Naruto appeared taken aback, the raven seemed somewhere between amused and disgusted.

“Stop traumatizing these kids,” Izumo said. He gave his friend a cup of coffee and sat on the armrest of the chair, giving Naruto and Sasuke an apologetic smile.

“You see that Alex, he was nice enough to make his friend a fucking coffee!” Naruto suddenly exclaimed, gesturing with his hand towards the duo on the armchair as he sent the raven a pointed look.

“Hmm, I’m not sure they are so traumatized, Izumo,” Kotetsu began. “Look at these two and all the hickeys they hadn’t even tried to hide,” He said with a small nod towards the new janitors as a grin slowly spread on his face. “Seems like we weren’t the only ones who had had a crazy night, huh?” He asked as his hand found its way to the man’s thigh to pat it lightly.

That gesture grabbed Sasuke’s attention and he slowly pulled one eyebrow up as realization finally settled in. Naruto though, wasn’t as observant at the moment, too busy to blush and look anywhere else but the eyes of the people in the room.

“Yo, he’s right!” Kiba said excitedly, his eyes shifting from one teen to the other. “Dude, these weren’t there on either of their necks yesterday!” He continued, making Naruto subconsciously put a hand to his neck and Sasuke roll his eyes. Seriously, what was the big deal?

“So you two too, huh?” Kiba asked with a click of his tongue while he shook his head. Then he turned his head to send Chouji and apologetic smile. “It seems like we’re the only ones who like pussy in this room, bro,” He said, patting him on the back.

“Oh, shut up” Naruto said with a roll of his eyes and then picked up his mug, sending Kiba a glare above it. “I didn’t have sex with Alex,” He then added and barely resisted the urge to hit Sasuke when he heard him quietly mutter ‘not yet’ into his own mug.

“Whatever dude, all I’m saying is that you two are obviously an item,” Kiba said with a smirk. “I mean, you didn’t even _try_ to deny that part,”

“I don’t need to deny it, just don’t go around assuming stuff,” Naruto said and then drank the remains of his coffee.

“Anyway,” Izumo took a look at his watch. “How about we get to work,” He said as he got up from his seat to go and place his empty cup in the sink.

“Aaw, but it just got interesting,” Kotetsu said with a grin, though he got up none the less.

“You can talk about who’s slept with whom after that, now come on,” Izumo said, nodding his head towards the door.

With a collective groan all of them got up from their seats and began making their way towards the big door they had all entered from. Kotetsu though stayed back and bumped his shoulder into Naruto’s, waiting until the blond turned to give him a questioning look. Then the older men gestured with his head towards Sasuke who was walking in front of them and made the okay sign with his hand by bringing the tips of his thumb and index finger together. He then winked at Naruto and with a wide grin, hurried to catch up with Izumo again.

Naruto rolled his eyes but in the end he couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at his lips when he looked at Sasuke. Yes, a very nice catch indeed.

* * *

“So, where are you two from?” Kiba asked while they were walking down the long, well lit hallway. A conference meeting had just ended and they had to go and clean up before moving to another hall to prepare it for the meeting at eleven thirty.

“Minnesota,” Sasuke answered, not sounding very interested. For the past two hours he had been answering various trivial questions about himself and Naruto and it was getting annoying how Kiba always had something else to ask no matter how much Sasuke tried to end the conversation.

“So you finished high school there and came looking for jobs all the way here?” The brunet asked, one eyebrow pulled up, and Sasuke just shrugged.

“We felt like it so we did it,” He said.

“Must be cool to live alone, I still share an apartment with my mom and sister,” He then said, twisting his lips to the side.

“It’s only _cool_ the first week or two,” Sasuke said, thinking back to the time they first escaped the orphanage. “Then you have to learn how to properly manage your finances so you have enough for rent, bills, gas and food,”

“Well yeah, but your parents are still sending you money and now you’ll be making some more here,” Kiba said matter-of-factly and completely missed the way Sasuke shook his head. He just didn’t feel like explaining that no parents were sending them any money. It would only complicate things because then his chatty coworker would probably ask why and he’ll have to think of yet another lie. Too much sweat for nothing.

“Will you be enrolling in university here?” Kiba asked.

“Haven’t decided yet,” Sasuke said evenly, continuing to push the cart and not even looking at the brunet.

Once they finally reached the meeting hall Kiba pulled out a set of keys from his pocket to go and unlock it. Then Sasuke pushed the cart with all the rags and cleaning supplies in, glad to finally have something which would hopefully occupy his co-worker who seemed to always have an endless supply of nosy questions to ask.

* * *

“This is going to take forever,” Kushina groaned, rolling her eyes as she filled yet another form. “Can’t we just fill them and go do our work?”

“No, you’ll wait like any other agent. You went behind my back so this is going to be your punishment,” Sarutobi said, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched the trio fill in the standard mission requests.

“Okay, then at least let us choose the people on that mission,” Minato said, looking up at the old man who was leaning back in his chair. “It’s very important,” He added, his eyes hard as he looked at the chief.

“Fine, but I’ll have to approve of them first,” The old man said. “Besides, I don’t understand your problem with doing it the normal way. Once your mission gets approved, the agency has to cover your expenses and gives you freeway into a lot of places so there are only benefits here as far as I can see,” He said.

“Our problem was that time is very crucial here. We couldn’t allow ourselves to be sitting ducks for so long. This is our children we’re talking about,” Mikoto said, sounding bitter for doing exactly what they shouldn’t be. She then slid her stack of papers across the desk and towards the chief, apparently done with filling them.

Sarutobi sighed. He wasn’t going to make them wait as long as he had said he would. He understood perfectly well how important that was to them but they also had to understand he couldn’t just let them do whatever they wanted to. The whole agency’s reputation was set there and he didn’t plan on taking the blame if something were to happen. There were a lot of what ifs which could end up pretty badly for the agency and he, as the chief, couldn’t allow that.

Minato and Kushina placed their already filled requests on top of Mikoto’s and then all three got up.

“Thank you,” Sarutobi nodded his head, effectively dismissing the trio from his office.

Once they were out the door he leaned back in his seat with another sigh. Why did they have to act so bratty at times? It was like nothing had changed since those days twenty-five years ago. Now, just like old times, Sarutobi had to plan out their mission, suggest a team for it, get them transport, supplies, gear if need be, and also talk to the police about those two runts, who were causing such a pain in his ass.

The chief straightened up again and grabbed the first request from the pile these three had left on his desk. Halfway through reading it he smirked. He really wanted to meet those boys one day and see if he could recruit them. God only knew how hard they would be to handle but they also had so much potential, it would be a real shame to miss on it.

* * *

“Wanna go for a walk?” Naruto asked, nodding his head towards the city center which wasn’t that far away.

It was close to four in the afternoon and they had juts parked their car in the neighborhood they had chosen the first day. The duo had finished work at three, and after taking showers again and putting on their usual clothing, they had gone ‘home’. But apparently, now they had nothing to do and a walk didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

“Fine,” Sasuke said with a shrug and, pulling out the key from the ignition, he opened the door to his side to get out. Patting his jeans to make sure he had the wallet and cigarettes on him, he locked their car and put the keys in one of his pockets. Meanwhile Naruto waited patiently for his boyfriend to walk around the car so they could start walking side by side.

“Today was really fun. I think I probably imagined it would be pretty boring to work but I guess it isn’t so bad,” Naruto said, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Hn, can’t say I really had fun, but yeah, it could have certainly been worse,” Sasuke agreed.

“Pfft, you’re not a factor, you almost never have fun anyway,” The blond said with a roll of his eyes, though there was a smile on his lips.

“That’s not true. It’s just that the things I think of as ‘fun’ are kinda different than yours,” The raven answered with a smirk.

“You mean they are different from the _normal_ ones,” Naruto corrected him, amusement in his eyes and voice as he looked at the other teen from the corner of his eye.

“I’d love to prove you wrong right now but that would have to wait until we’re back,” Sasuke smiled and something dark passed through his eyes as he sent Naruto a sideways look. The blond on his part had to look away when he caught on to what Sasuke was actually talking about it.

“Anyway,” He began, clearing his throat before continuing. “What do you think of Kiba and Chouji?” Naruto asked, not so subtly changing the subject before he had to change his mind and drag Sasuke back in the car.

“Kiba is a little nosy but bearable, kind reminds me of you actually because at times I couldn’t stand him either,” Sasuke said, sounding very serious, although the smirk on his face spoke of humor.

“Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself you can’t stand me, you were singing a different song yesterday,” Naruto said, putting his hands deeper into his pockets. “So what about Chouji?” Naruto asked then and Sasuke shrugged.

“Haven’t spent that much time with him,” He explained. “And don’t ask me about Izumo and Kotetsu. I have no words about those two,”

“Pfft, yeah. They were so obviously gay, it was kinda disturbing and I’m in a gay relationship myself,” Naruto said with a chuckle, shaking his head as he kicked a small pebble on the way.

After that they fell into a comfortable silence for a while, just walking and looking around the city, the buildings, the busy people hurrying up and down the streets, the traffic, everything. New York was busting with activity but at the same time, that was what made it feel so normal and even calm. Sasuke and Naruto were used to being in big cities, surrounded by the familiar white noise provided by the cars and the passersby. That was what made them feel at home the most. They could easily blend in with the crowd and just for a moment act like everything was fine, like their lives were normal.

They walked some more until they were almost at the city center, only two streets separating them from it.

“Let’s go in the library, I want to see something,” Naruto then suddenly said, pulling Sasuke out of his own musings. He looked around and saw the tall building his boyfriend was apparently talking about.

“What is it?” The raven asked, one eyebrow going up to complete the question.

“Well, they usually have computers there, right? So I thought we could check if the police are getting somewhere with their search,” Naruto explained with a shrug, already beginning to make his way up the steps that led to the entrance, leaving Sasuke no choice but to follow. Although it’d be a lie if the raven said he wasn’t curious about it too. Now that Naruto had mentioned it, he thought it actually might be a good idea to make it a routine and every once in a while check if they're still safe where they were.

Walking in the huge building, the teens looked around themselves, taking in the many shelves standing tall, lined up next to each other, filled to the brim with books. The windows were letting in a lot of the soft afternoon sunlight, and the place almost felt like a small getaway from the busy life of the city just on the other side of the heavy doors. A comfortable silence engulfed the hall completely, broken only by muffled whispers and soft footsteps, which if anything, only enhanced the peaceful aura surrounding the place.

Walking in further, Sasuke looked at the many titles he passed by and soon found himself wondering is he should get a card for the library. Reading would certainly help pass time and also, he had been longing for a good book for some time now. The small library in the juvenile center wasn’t nearly as rich, nor did it have many books to his taste. Actually, if he had to be honest, the one in the juvie center was a sorry excuse compared to this, and that was actually putting it mildly.

While Sasuke was busy wondering from which book to start, Naruto was looking for the computer area and after a short while finally found it at the end of the hall.

“There,” He whispered in Sasuke’s direction and his strides got wider as he hurried to reach the last unoccupied computer first.

He soon sat in the chair and grabbed for the mouse, moving it around until the screen lit up. He opened Google Chrome just when he felt Sasuke lean on the back of his chair. The blond typed in their real names and pressed enter. The next second he already had the results so he clicked on the first one which led him to a news site. The title said **“Kids Outsmart The Minnesota Police Force?”** and Naruto couldn’t help but chuckle quietly at that. Reading though the article, it basically talked about how the police were searching for them but haven’t had any luck so far and how if someone was to see them, they should contact the police immediately. So basically nothing there. Going back, Naruto clicked on the second one which said that the car had been found in Chicago and police strongly believed that they are somewhere in that city. They are apparently still trying to get information out of the guy who works there, though he still claims no one with their description had ever came to the garage.

Naruto heard Sasuke snort from behind him. Did they really think they’d dump their car somewhere, knowing it would be found sooner or later, and then stay there? Did the cops really think Naruto and Sasuke were that stupid?

“So basically they still have no clue,” Naruto muttered with a smirk as he opened the search history to delete it. There was no such thing as being too safe when you were trying to hide, even if the ones looking for you were obviously moronic.

“Hn, can’t say I expected anything else. I wonder how they feel about being “ _outsmarted by some kids_ ” as the news put it,” Sasuke said.

“Hm, they think that just ‘cause they had luck the first time around, we’ll let them get to us the second,” Naruto shook his head. “Oh well, the line between confidence and cockiness is a thin one after all,” He added with a sigh and then grinned at Sasuke. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” He said and got up from the computer.

* * *

“I wonder how long it would take them to realize we’re not in Illinois,” Naruto mused out loud, swinging slightly their joined hands as they walked down the street.

It had already gotten dark but Naruto and Sasuke were still out, walking aimlessly around and talking about random stuff. The city was beautiful at night. There were a lot of lights coming from many different shops and restaurants, and there was also this cloak of laughter and chatter which was completely irreplaceable. It wasn’t as warm as it was a couple of hours ago but that was understandable and actually well welcomed by the couple.

“Hn, I’d give them at least a week or two more, though I think we should check again in a couple of days, just to be sure Sai hasn’t opened his mouth,” Sasuke said as they stopped at the walkway, patiently waiting for the light to turn green. “Though I’m not sure that even if he does he’ll be able to tell them anything of importance,”

“You know,” Naruto began. “In two weeks we’re going to get our first paychecks, right? And you remember how we thought because the first week is something like a test period, we’re not gonna get payed for it? Well, Chouji said that we’re gonna get money for it too,” Naruto explained with a huge smile while wiggling his brows at the raven.

“Well then, we should probably spread those papers again and now look for a cheap studio or some small apartment to rent, don’t you think?” Sasuke asked, giving Naruto’s hand a squeeze and sending him a small smile.

“Aaw, you’re asking me to move in with you?” Naruto asked as innocently as he could before a small frown appeared on his face. “Wait, don’t you think it’s a little early for that? I mean, that’s a huge step in every relationship, Alex, are we really ready to move in together?” He asked, trying to look as serious as he could when he turned his head towards the raven.

“Shut up, moron,” Sasuke said with a chuckle, making Naruto laugh out too at his little scene. He just loved it when Sasuke was in a good mood. It never failed to lift his too.

“But, yeah, I think you’re right. We should first get an idea about the rents. It’s not like we’ll be living in a penthouse in the center, but that’s New York. Nothing here is cheap,” The blond said, swinging up and down Sasuke’s hand as they finally crossed the street.

Naruto and Sasuke entered Central park and continued their walk underneath the tall trees lining the alleys. There were small lights everywhere, making the park even more beautiful at night than it could ever be during the day.

“We’ll think of something,” Sasuke said. They always did anyway. This time it wouldn’t be much different either. That’s why they got themselves jobs, right? So they could afford to leave the car and get a real place with real beds. Besides, how expensive could a one-bedroom apartment be? They had no problem with sharing a room and a bathroom. As long as they had a kitchen and a table to eat on, everything would be fine.

“Yeah, I think we should look through some ads tomorrow after work. See where the cheapest places are and what would work best for us,” Naruto mused.

“Hn,” Sasuke agreed and then tugged Naruto’s hand towards the nearest bench he saw and they sat down. Then the raven fished out their pack of cigarettes and both took a stick which Sasuke lit afterwards.

“Just imagine it,” Naruto began after taking a drag and leaning back in his seat to look up towards the tree branches above his head. “Sitting on a small balcony, clad just in our underwear, with a beer in one hand, a cigarette in the other, looking out at the city at night and all its lights. I mean, I have no false hopes that we could afford to be in a peaceful, calm neighborhood, and I bet my ass we’ll be hearing police sirens all the time, gunshots in the very near distance, and the neighbors would be probably always fighting with each other and we’ll hear them smashing empty bottles in the walls as they curse one another, but to be honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It wouldn’t feel right if it were something else, you know. Like, we are people who grew up in a small orphanage with god only knows how many other children, then led a life on the streets for a couple of years, then spent seven months in juvie… “ Naruto took a break to take another drag from the cigarette between his fingers. There was this faraway look in his eyes as he talked and something subtle in his tone which kept Sasuke completely immersed in what the blond was saying. “Peace and quiet would just feel strange at that point you know, it just doesn’t suit us anymore. I feel like eating cereal while sitting on an old mattress, placed on the hardwood floor in the middle of a room with peeling paint and thin walls would be so much more like us,” He chuckled at the end. “But either way, despite all that and how shitty it sounds, I feel like we could still sit on that dirty, cramped balcony at night and laugh at stupid stuff and generally have a good time with each other,” Naruto finished and then put the cigarette between his lips again, watching the smoke as it rose in the air after he exhaled it.

After that the blond felt Sasuke’s intense calculating gaze on him and turned his head towards the raven.

There was something unreadable in those eyes and Naruto felt like if it weren’t for the lenses, he might be able to see what it was. But unfortunately, at that point, he wasn’t sure how to understand that look in Sasuke’s eyes and it unnerved him a little because there was so much emotion there despite how much of it the lenses could conceal.

“What?” The blond asked quietly, suddenly becoming very aware of their still joined hands as he stared back in Sasuke’s eyes.

The raven just smiled slightly, and shaking his head, he took another drag from his cigarette. Then, before he had exhaled, he tugged at Naruto’s arm and kissed him. Naruto, not expecting that move at all, at first made a sound he would deny to his dying day had come from him, but then he relaxed and kissed back just as passionately, not bothered at all by the smoke which entered his mouth. Their kiss was slow, almost like a first one, focused on feeling the other and making them feel good rather than lustfully battling for dominance. It was a kiss which made them both feel weak in the knees and completely forget they were in a public park.

“What was that for?” Naruto asked once they broke apart for air, they foreheads pressed together. But Sasuke didn’t answer, just gave his hand another squeeze.

“I don’t know, you just described a shit place in such a way, you made me want to spend the rest of my life there, wherever that is, as long as you’re with me and I’m not sure how to feel about it,” Sasuke said truthfully. “It’s just really strange, and most of all annoying how good you are with words at chosen moments,” He then added.

“Heh, thanks,” Naruto said with a small smile, giving Sasuke’s lips a final peck before pulling away completely and taking another drag from his still burning cigarette.

“So yeah, it seems I’d really like that shithole you just described. It would be perfect as long we are sharing it. Although, one day, when we’re older, with more money and better jobs, we’d be able to afford renting or maybe even buying something in a better neighborhood, in a very high building, with lots of windows, luxuries and space,” Sasuke said quietly, he himself now looking up at the sky as he took one final drag from his cigarette and then threw the butt away. “I promise,” The raven muttered quietly in the end and felt Naruto squeeze his hand slightly after hearing those words.

They sat in silence for a while, both too busy with their own thoughts for a moment, and listened to the sounds around them. The soft wind rustling the leaves of the trees above them, the people passing by, talking and laughing, some with kids, others too young or too old for that. All of those provided a sense of peace. A feeling of calm, of normality, and the night couldn’t have been more perfect at that point.

“Come on,” Naruto said after a while. He got up from his seat on the bench and began tugging Sasuke up by his hand. “We should head back, tomorrow we have to get up early again,” He said with a small smile. Sasuke sighed but agreed and soon both began their walk back.

* * *

It had been five days. Five whole days Minato, Kushina and Mikoto hadn’t even been allowed in the headquarters. Five damned days already, they were waiting for some news from the chief, something to signal them they were good to go now. Although it wouldn’t be that easy, right? Once they got the call from Sarutobi, they had to go and assemble a team, give said team directions, then give a description of a suggested rout and how to be reached at any given time. All in all, it would be at least a couple of hours before they could be officially cleared and ready to go.

They were still bitter because of what had happened and also because they didn’t get to finish their work that night. Although, exactly because the chief had interrupted them, they had left Naruto and Sasuke’s photos in the computer room and so the next day Shikamaru had finished what they couldn’t. After two or three hours of playing with that photoshop program, the brunet had managed to finally tell in which car their children were. Then, via Kakashi, he had sent them the printed photo of said car with the two in it.

Now the good news was that they had new descriptions to follow. It was more than obvious that Naruto and Sasuke would have left the car long ago and if they had to trust the police’s reports, it had happened in Chicago, so the car didn’t do them any good. But now they knew what they looked like so they knew what to search for. And once they finally got Sarutobi’s permission, they could get in touch with the other branches of the agency around the country and give out that description and hopefully be one step closer to finally getting their children back.

“Oh my god, I can’t do this anymore,” Kushina groaned, stopping mid-pace to hunch her shoulders and throw her head back, glaring at the ceiling, as if it was to blame.

“Calm down, Kushi, you know this won’t make that old fart call us any sooner. Come here and drink your tea before it gets cold,” Mikoto said as she took another sip from her cup. Her legs were tucked underneath her as she sat on the couch. They were alone in the apartment. Minato had gone out to do some shopping because Kakashi would be getting home soon from a three-day mission. The least they could do for him is cook him dinned after he had been kind enough to let them stay in his apartment for so long, even while he was gone.

“How can I calm down? This is killing me!” The redhead exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. “He could have just put his signature on the fucking forms and let us do our work, but nooo, ‘you’ll wait just like any other agent’.” She mocked. “Any other agent, my ass. If it were a regular mission it would be fine, but he knows how important that is for us and he’s still keeping us back. What the hell is his problem?” She raised her voice at the end, stomping her foot on the ground. Then with a sigh she made her way to the sofa and sat down heavily next to her friend, looking at her with the expression of a kicked puppy.

“Look, I understand perfectly well. It’s both our sons we’re talking about and I’m as angry with Sarutobi as you are, but there’s seriously nothing we can do at this point,” Mikoto said matter-of-factly, taking the cup of tea she had prepared for Kushina and giving it to her. The redhead nodded, a small pout appearing on her lips before she took a sip from her cup.

Then, after bringing her cup down, a small smirk formed on Kushina’s lips and a sudden, well-known glint appeared in her eyes. She placed her tea on the table in front of the sofa and turned to look at Mikoto with that same mischievous look on her face.

“Actually, I think there is something we can do,” The redhead said and her smirk only widened when Mikoto pulled up a fine eyebrow. “This old geezer just has no idea who he’s messing with,” She said with a shake of her head, as if feeling sorry for him, and proceeded to explain what was on her mind.

Half an hour later Minato got home and was very taken aback when it appeared as if there was one else in the apartment. Finally he found a small note placed on the table under an empty cup of tea. All that was written on it was: _‘We’ll be back shortly, gotta go and take care of something real quick. Don’t start dinner without us!’- Kushina and Mikoto’_ Minato recognized that to be his wife’s handwriting and he sighed.

He placed the small paper back on the table and with a shake of his head went to unpack all that he had bought. He couldn’t help but wonder what those two women were up to now.

* * *

Sarutobi was leaning back in his big comfortable chair. His legs were up on his desk and he was enjoying the warm afternoon with one of his favorite books. He loved those days which weren’t particularly busy and he had enough free time for himself, despite being in his office. Oh, it was good to be the chief, he could just lie back, enjoy himself, and the best part of it all was that no one could tell him a thing because he was the boss of everyone else in the building which technically made him the boss of himself too.

He smirked, turning the page. He would soon get to his favorite part and he had to stop and wonder if maybe he should do some work and then read it at home. But then again, he was alone in his office, no one had the right to enter it without his permission and the light fell just right on his page at that moment. He grimaced when he thought about reading underneath lamp lighting. It always hurt his eyes if he read too much at night. But now he had no such problem with the huge amount of sunlight streaming in through the tall windows behind him. Well, his work was such, that it could definitely wait an hour or two more.

He was about to turn the page again when the door to his office was slammed open and Sarutobi almost fell from his chair because of the way he jumped in shock. He dropped the book to his lap, hurriedly putting his feet to the ground again and preparing himself to send the foulest look from his arsenal to the person who had dared disrespect him in such a way.

Looking at the entryway, there were two women standing there, their long strands of hair still waving behind their backs from the force with which the redheaded one had opened the door.

“What is the meaning of this?” Sarutobi asked, his eyes narrowing as he straightened up in his chair. He tried to muster up all of his authority in that question, although it didn’t seem to faze those women in the least. If anything, it only made them look fiercer.

“Chief Sarutobi,” The dark-haired one began, her eyes narrowed into a cold glare as the two walked further in the office, slamming the door shut behind them. Soundproof walls were both a curse and a blessing, the man realized then. “Have you ever seen a lioness searching for her cub?” She asked, slowly making her way to the giant desk behind which the old man was sitting.

“Well Mikoto, quite frankly, one can see that only once before getting ripped to shreds for daring to mess with her and keeping her child away from her,” Kushina explained conversationally, although she put enough emphasis on the right places. She flicked her long hair behind her shoulder before she dropped her hand on the desk, almost cracking it with the sheer force behind that seemingly simple move.

Sarutobi swallowed quite loudly, leaning back in his chair ever so slightly despite himself.

“If you think that you can sit around here, doing nothing, while we worry ourselves sick over our children, waiting for your ‘approval’,” Mikoto said in a dangerously low voice. “Well, you better think twice about your decision to keep us waiting. I won’t regret anything if it means I get to see my son, do you understand?” She asked slowly through clenched teeth and Sarutobi could only nod his head, his eyes wide as he looked from one woman to the other.

“We expect the forms signed until tomorrow morning, eight a.m. sharp, and a list of the available agents, Shikamaru Nara being one of them,” Kushina said, her eyes narrowed into a glare. “We played by your rules until now and you just kept us waiting, so if you don’t wish to see not one, but two angry lioness, do as requested. Like we already said, by any means possible, we will find our sons, and we won’t feel a drop of remorse about anything and anyone if it means they are well and with us. We’ll be here tomorrow morning,” With those last parting words, the two women turned around and proudly walked out of the sunny office, slamming the door just as hard on their way out, and making the shelves on the walls rattle.

Sarutobi let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he had been holding in. He felt pathetic because of the fact that his heart was beating up in his throat. Putting one hand on his forehead and the other over his chest, he leaned over his cluttered desk, thinking about what had just unfolded.

With a sigh and a shake of his head he began to search around the mess of papers spread all over his desk until he found the forms he needed. Maybe he was getting too old for this, or maybe it appeared as if there were already people more suitable for the job. All he knew right now was that he might never look at those women the same way again. He remembered when they were only teens, just starting in the agency, eager to listen and learn. But that was a very long time ago. They had families now which they were willing to protect at any cost and Sarutobi smirked as he finally put his signature on all three of the requests about their mission.

Now more than ever, he wished to meet the ‘cubs’ of those two ‘lioness’. No doubt they would be just as fierce when circumstances called for it and Sarutobi thought that, if they were anything like their mothers, they might turn out to be exactly what this agency needs the most.

* * *

“I’m still very curious about what you did yesterday,” Minato said as he walked into the headquarters elevator with Mikoto and Kushina. “I mean, I tried to talk to him too and make him sign the permission earlier but, damn,” He said, shaking his head as he pressed the number of the floor they had to go up to.

“It’s a lady’s thing, you wouldn’t understand,” Kushina said, flicking her hair behind her shoulder and sending Mikoto a knowing smirk. The Uchiha rolled her eyes at the cockiness but smiled too, mainly at the memory of how scared Sarutobi had looked yesterday. Well, at least they taught him not to mess with them anymore.

The elevator signaled they had reached their destination and the metal doors opened to let them out. Confidently walking into the sunny floor, the trio made their way to the chief’s office. Mikoto knocked courtly, and without even waiting for an answer, opened the heavy, wooden doors, walking in with the other two in tow.

She stood tall in front of the old man’s desk, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked down at him.

“I’m guessing you already have everything ready?” She asked, her voice detached as she watched Sarutobi nod curtly and then start looking around his desk for the documents he had to give them.

“These are the signed requests,” He showed them. “And this is your permission to proceed and use any recourses you might need for this mission,” He handed her two sheets of paper. “On the one below you’ll find all of our agents who are available at the moment. Just give me the names and I’ll call them in immediately,” Sarutobi said and then leaned back in his chair.

Minato and Kushina got on each side of Mikoto to look through the list of names and the field they specialized in. Then, placing the sheet on the desk, Mikoto grabbed a pen and began to circle name after name. Once she was done, she got an empty sheet of paper from somewhere and scribbled down the names and info about the agents they have chosen, putting that one in the pocket of her jeans. Then the Uchiha put the pen where she had found it and slid the sheet back to the chief. The man looked through it and nodded.

“They should be here in an hour,” He said courtly.

“Thank you, chief. It’s always a pleasure working with you,” Kushina sent him a sugar-coated smile and the trio exited the office to make their way to the lounge room where they would wait for their chosen agents to arrive.

“After that I think I’m a little scared to ask what you did yesterday,” Minato commented, sending the two women a wary look as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. It wasn’t often you saw the chief so obliging. Damn, he could actually bet no one had never seen him stripped so much of his authority in the presence of his agents. The blond man now couldn’t decide if he should be feeling proud or disturbed by the small smirks gracing Kushina and Mikoto’s faces.

It couldn’t have been more than forty minutes later when the people they had requested started to enter the lounge room. Some alone, others were coming in groups, but in the span of fifteen minutes, all nine agents were gathered in the room. No one paid them much mind at first, seeing as the three weren’t agents from those headquarters. They probably thought they were specially requested for some mission or whatever, but when the last person had entered the room and taken their seat, Kushina got up.

“Okay everybody, listen up!” She said loudly, halting all conversation and grabbing the attention of everyone there. “We three,” She gestured behind her. “Requested you for a mission. One which is very important. We don’t know much about you yet except that you are people with high success rate and supposedly very good at what you do,” She said.

“So what is this mission about?” A tall boy with shaggy brown hair and purple painting all over his face asked. He was longing on the couch and everything about his stance spoke of casualness but his eyes were sharp and calculating.

“We have to find two people who have managed to fool the police on numerous occasions, had escaped a place which has until then been deemed inescapable, and are currently undercover, hiding somewhere in the states,” Mikoto said, putting emphasis on how good these two apparently were. “The plan so far is to contact all the northern states, give their descriptions and see in which there are people matching them. Each of you is going to be assigned a state or two with which you are going to keep in touch for the duration of the mission. Any information which is deemed useful would be sent to Shikamaru,” Mikoto gestured towards the boy. “If there is a chance that you’ve found the two we’re looking for, you go and check. But,” The dark-haired woman narrowed her eyes. “No matter what they do, getting in contact with them is completely prohibited. You just go and make sure they match the description. If they do, you send word to us and we take it from there,” Mikoto explained.

“Who are these two, anyway?” A girl with four, dusty-blond ponytails, sitting next to the guy with the paint asked. Her eyes were narrowed, calculating all the information she had been given so far.

“Well, their real names are Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, although at the moment they are using different ones, of which we aren’t aware yet. But don’t worry, we’ll give you their profiles with all the information we have on them,” Minato said with a small smile from his seat. “Oh, and by the way, I am Minato Namikaze and these are Kushina Uzumaki and Mikoto Uchiha,” He introduced, realizing that in their haste, neither of the women had said a word about who they were. “And it’s our sons you’ll be looking for,” The blond added at the end.

There was a collective nodding of heads around the room though one reaction caught the trio’s interest. The guy with the paint snorted, a huge grin splitting his face.

“Fuck off, dude! And here I was wondering why you looked so familiar!” The guy said and then looked at the blonde beside him. “You remember when dad told us stories about them and how they had worked together?” He asked and the woman just rolled her eyes.

“Who is your dad?” Kushina asked, her interest piqued.

“Rasa Sabaku,” He said. “I’m Kankuro and this is my sister Temari,” He said, nodding his head in her direction. “You know, when we were younger, and just starting out, we couldn’t wait to get better just so we could get to work with dad and you three,” Kankuro explained.

“Hn, haven’t seen your old man in a while,” Minato said. “Tell him we said hi,” He told the brunet with a smile.

“Okay, well, apparently you got your opportunity,” Mikoto said with a smirk, pulling out the sheet of paper with the names from her pocket. “Now let’s get the introductions over with so we can finally begin. Take this whole mission as a competition of you wish, but in a month, I want those two we’re talking about, found without a single scratch on them. Now, when each of you hears their name, you’re going to receive a state, some might get two, with which you will work. We’re going to give you all…” And from then on Mikoto proceeded to explain very elaborately what was expected and needed from each and every one from the agents in the room.

In an hour, everyone had already gone to carefully read through Naruto and Sasuke’s profiles, the descriptions of their cover, their background and everything they might need in the search. Temari and Shikamaru were given the most information because they were supposed to think of possible plans of action Naruto and Sasuke might have taken and then figure out the most probable places they could be hiding. Kushina also planned on calling Tsunade, because she, as someone who had met them in person, could probably be of the most help when talking about their sons and their exact way of planning and operating.

All in all, the trio was pleased that they were finally taking some sorts of action. Hopefully, very soon, they’d be able to reunite their families again.

* * *

 **A/N** : And that was the chapter for you. It's by far the longest one I've written I think but I just don't know how to write short chapters so bear with me. Anyway, I really hope you like it and I think that just because I know what will happen in the next one, I just can't wait until it's time to upload chapter 16. Anyway, I'll see you guys in two weeks (hopefully lol).

 


	16. Firsts

**A/N** : Yeah, yeah, I'm late as all fucking hell! I know, okay? Although I swear it wasn't my fault this time around. I just feel like the Universe doesn't want me to post on time because for the first time in forever I had the chapter ready by the end of the second week and guess what? I lost it. That's right. I left my computer alone for 1 goddamn minute and it decided to restart because of some update I couldn't care less about. I managed to recover some of the chapter but I still had at least 2/3 of it to rewrite and you can imagine the pain of that when the chapter is like, nearly 12k words.  
But anyway, its here, it's done, and it's probably the only chapter which I have rewritten so many times lol. Let's hope that by the time I hit Post everything is still here and hasn't magically disappeared... again.

 **Warning** : 18+! Like, really. Almost half of this one is just straight out porn. I don't take any responsibility if you're under 18 and still reading this. There is a reason I've rated the story as explicit since the very beginning. And if you're still continuing and the warning doesn't concern you, then I hope you have fun while reading this chapter.

* * *

 

Today was the day and Naruto couldn’t find himself a place because he was just so excited. Even Sasuke seemed in a better mood than usual and he couldn't even deny it. They’ve both been waiting for that day for two weeks already. Meaning ever since they first started working for Itachi. And now, for the first time in their lives, they would receive their very first, legally earned money. Who wouldn’t be excited about that? But that wasn't even the end of it. If everything went well, they would also rent their very first apartment today and that in itself was enough to brighten their mood considerably.

Neither of them could wait any longer to finally have their own place. They wouldn’t need to sleep in the car anymore and to eat on the back of the pickup. They wouldn't make out on the worn-out backseat. They could take showers whenever they felt like it and not only whenever they were at work. They could wash their own clothes and prepare their own food and have a not so cramped space like the car to protect them from the forces of nature. It would be a dream come true and if not for real, then Naruto was definitely bouncing up and down inside of his head.

“Will you stop that? You’re making me feel sick,” Sasuke said, sending the blond a wary look as they exited the meeting hall they had just prepared for the meeting at ten. Okay, so maybe except for mentally, Naruto was also very obviously bouncing up and down physically too.

“I can’t! I’m just so excited! Like, come on, you can’t tell you haven’t counted the days too?” He asked with a grin which only enforced his statement about how happy he was. Not like that particular fact needed any enforcement. 

“I didn’t need to count them, you already told me every single day how many days were left until _the day_ ,” Sasuke emphasized with a roll of his eyes.

“Pfft, shut up, I can tell you can’t wait until we finish our shift and go look at that apartment. It’s basically written all over your face,” Naruto waved his hand dismissively as they made their way towards the elevator.

For the last week they had gone to be shown around in many apartments around the city and they had been almost ready to choose one. That was until a couple of days ago when Sasuke had seen an ad about a place which was cheaper than the others while still having most of the things they needed and so he had insisted that they go take a look at it too. And yeah, sure, it wasn’t in one of the best or the safest of neighborhoods there were but they also weren’t just anybody. So basically, so far, that seemed like the most promising place of all and they had scheduled a meeting with the land-keeper for four thirty today.

Sasuke skeptically pulled up a brow at Naruto’s statement but didn’t say anything. He just continued walking down the hallway while the blond whistled some random tune under his breath while pushing the cart. Their “test” period had ended last week and now they worked together as a team with the same schedule and same tasks which was practically ideal and what they had been hoping for when they first started looking for jobs.

They had almost reached the elevators when they were met with the sight of Itachi and Neji exiting one of cars, apparently very deep in conversation about some expensive deal they had to look through. That though, didn’t seem to bother Naruto in the least as his grin broadened the moment he noticed the dark-haired CEO.

“Hey, Itachi, what’s up?” He asked with a grin and the CEO turned around to look at him with something akin to a glare in his eyes. Almost nobody referred to him by his given name around the company. Not even his secretary did and Itachi had been almost ready to glare down the poor moron for the audacity of that. But his glare quickly subsided to be replaced with something very close to a smirk of amusement when he took in Deidara's two friends and the flamboyant smile Nathan was sending his way. He just couldn't be irritated with him when he was well aware that Nathan wasn't calling him by his first name because he wanted to flaunt the fact that he knew his boss outside of work. It was only because the janitor didn't see anything wrong with calling the CEO that way and it was almost amusing to watch how the jaw's of everyone in earshot dropped. That was maybe part of the reason why Itachi decided to humor him.

Naruto noticed the small smile which appeared on the other's features and his grin got wider if that was even possible.

“Nothing new, how about you?” The Uchiha asked, obvious amusement in his voice and on his face while the long-haired guy next to him seemed to just look at Naruto with something bordering on disgust. That is if his frown was anything to go by.

“Same ol’,” Naruto shrugged one shoulder, his grin still in place. “How’s Dei?” He asked, stopping the cart in front of the elevators and pushing his hands deep in his pockets.

“Just heard him last night. Told me to tell you hi from him and also that he wants _details_ ,” Itachi smirked, knowing very well what his lover had meant by that.

Naruto frowned at first but his features soon cleared when he caught up on what the other blond was most definitely referring to. He rolled his eyes almost in sync with Sasuke's. Figures their friend would have known what would happen between them even before they themselves were aware of the direction their friendship had been headed to.

“Cool, tell him we said hello too and that it's none of his business.” Sasuke said with a smirk, thinking about how pissed the hairdresser would be for being kept in the dark, as he reached his hand to press the button for the elevator doors to open.

“We’re gonna be late,” Neji suddenly said from his place next to Itachi, coldly regarding with his pale eyes the two janitors who seemed overly familiar with the CEO.

“Yes, well, have a nice day, boys,” Itachi said with a curt nod and he turned around to start walking down the hallway towards the meeting hall Naruto and Sasuke had just taken care of while the elevator doors finally opened to let the duo inside.

“What the hell, moron, don’t act so familiar with him while we’re at work! He’s our boss!” Sasuke said as they entered, pressing the number two and throwing the blond a quick glare. It wasn't a secret that they got the job through connections but that didn't mean they could go around talking to the CEOs like they were some childhood friends or something.

“Oh come on, Sasuke, it’s not like we see him any other time,” Naruto rolled his eyes before the raven hit him over the head.

“Shut your mouth before anyone hears you, you idiot,” He hissed and Naruto suddenly slapped a hand over his mouth, turning to give his partner a wide-eyed look when he finally realized what he had said.

“It just slipped, I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to,” The blond said, biting his lip and looking around the hallway right before the doors started to close shut.

“You’re lucky no one heard you,” Sasuke muttered before the metal doors finally slid closed and the car started moving.

But the young Uchiha was wrong and someone had heard them because Itachi had suddenly frozen mid-step, a frown appearing between his brows as he was wondering if what he had heard just now was his imagination. He had to quickly collect himself though because Neji was still walking, apparently not having noticed the Uchiha’s sudden shock, and was still talking about what he had found out about the company owner they would be meeting with.

Itachi quickly caught up with him again, and even though he was listening to the brunet’s briefing and memorizing it all, his mind was elsewhere. His brain had that special ability of multitasking and Itachi made a mental note to later think over carefully what he had heard. Right now he had a million dollar deal to seal and he couldn’t allow his mind to be thinking about something he had most probably misheard. Right?

* * *

“Well, boys, this is it. There’s no elevator but you seem fit enough so I don’t think this will bother you much,” The fat man said, sounding out of breath after climbing six floors of stairs. He wasn’t very old, maybe in his mid-forties. He was wearing a very obviously old pair of jeans and a stained white tank top which had definitely seen better days. His big belly was hanging ahead of him and his head was almost bald, shining with grease. If Sasuke remembered correctly his name was Eddie, although they had no last name to attach the first one to.

Eddie pushed the key into the lock and had to slam his shoulder into the door to be able to unlock it. So far it wasn’t anything impressive. The paint in the hallways of the building was pealing, some of the windows on the mid-floors were broken and the walls were obviously very thin because they could hear a dog barking from the floor below and the low hum of a TV from the apartment across the one they were about to enter. But neither of those seemed to bother the teens in the least.

“Yeah, no worries,” Naruto said with a smile as the man finally pushed the door open and walked in, waiting for them to follow him inside. Not like they would get lost if he hurried in or anything. The place wasn’t that big. The ad said one bedroom, one bathroom and a kitchen with a living room combined.

“On your immediate left is the living area,” Eddie gestured to the cramped room, sounding and looking bored as he did so.  

The walls looked like they used to be beige at one point but that had obviously been a very long time ago. Now they were dirty, pealing at one of the corners in the room and there was a crack above the small TV as if someone had punched the wall. And that sofa… it was so old and dusty, Sasuke was surprised it was even standing but he guessed that it was fair. They couldn’t expect luxuries for such a low prize. In front of the sofa was the dining table which was the same color as the dirty hardwood floor below. Behind the sofa was what could be called a kitchen. There was a fridge, albeit a quite small and old one but hopefully still working, a line of cupboards barely hanging above the green counter, a cooker and a sink which was kinda rusty but probably usable. The washing machine was also deeply appreciated. They were tired of always having to wash their clothes by hand in the sink.

The bright side was that there seemed to be a lot of windows which would let enough sunlight in. And if they had to be optimistic, the place could be called almost cozy, what with how everything was arranged. It just needed a good cleaning and it would be as good as new. Okay, maybe not exactly new but somewhere near it at last.

“Over there is the bathroom,” The guy went back to the hallway and gestured to the right before going to open the door. The place was small but had everything needed so it would work just fine. Or at least they really hoped so, it would suck to later find out that the pipes were broken.

Evading that outcome, the Uchiha walked in the bathroom, noting how old the blue tiles seemed and also how they’d have to spend an hour or two just cleaning these couple of square meters. But at least there wasn’t anything broken or missing. He turned on the faucet above the sink and the water seemed clean enough. So far everything seemed good, just dirty but that could be very easily fixed.

After that Eddie continued down the hallway and rounded the corner to his left, opening wide the white door there.

“And finally, this is the bedroom. There’s only one bed in here but you can always buy a mattress or something. Over there is the balcony.” He gestured towards the room and leaned back to let the boys enter it and look around.

If they had to be honest this room seemed to be in the best conditions compared to the others. Yes, you couldn’t say that it was anything they would brag about but it was still wide enough, the bed was big and also looked more new compared to the other furniture. There were nightstands on either side of it and the walls also seemed like they had been painted more recently. On the wall opposite the bed were lined a couple of wardrobes and on the other side of the room there were big windows and a glass door which obviously led to a small balcony with metal railings. Actually, small was an overestimation, because while it was as wide as the room, it had just enough space for someone to sit on the window’s sill or to just remain standing. But that was fine, and if anything, it was better then what they had been showed so far for far more money.

“So where’s the catch?” Sasuke finally asked when they walked back towards Eddie. The raven crossed his arms over his chest as he looked skeptically at the owner. He knew there had to be a catch, it was impossible any other way.

“There’s no catch,” The man shrugged and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from the back pocket of his jeans. He took a stick out and offered the pack to the boys. With a shrug Naruto reached for it and took one. Sasuke followed his example and then the blond patted his jeans and pulled out their own lighter with which he lit first Sasuke’s cigarette and then his own.

“Why is it so cheap then?” Sasuke asked as he blew the smoke one, still sounding skeptical and pulling one eyebrow up for emphasis.

“You’re the smart one, aren’t ya?” The man asked with smirk in the Uchiha's direction while Naruto tried not to take offence from that statement. “Fine. As you can see, there’s nothing wrong with the place. Yeah, it’s a little old and dusty but it has no infestations or pipe problems or whatever else which might be a problem for ya. It’s just that a couple of years ago a man killed his wife and his daughter in this apartment. Ever since then it’s been hard to find someone willing to rent it so I had to lower the prize,” He explained with a shrug, as if it was no big deal, and then took another drag from his cigarette.

Sasuke just nodded and turned to look at Naruto who had frowned at the carefree way the information had been given to them. His face cleared the moment he sensed his boyfriend staring at him. He looked back at Sasuke, shrugged and then nodded in agreement. Sasuke though, sensing the blond's sudden uneasiness pulled up a brow again and Naruto sighed, rolling his eyes at the silent query.

“We’ll take it,” The blond suddenly said with a pointed look in Sasuke's way before he forced a smile on his face as he looked at the land-keeper in front of them.

“Good, come with me so you can sign the papers,” Eddie said and turned around. “I’ll be expecting payment between the first and the fifth of every month. Of course, the bills are on you. You can just give me the money and I’ll pay them or you can do it yourself, however you prefer…”

And just like that, Naruto and Sasuke got their first apartment. It wasn’t anything special. Hell it was very shitty if they had to be realistic and apparently and ex crime scene but they hadn’t had any false hopes, and from their point of view, it was actually ideal. No one would think to look for them here, it would be easy to blend in and stay unnoticed while at the same time they would finally have a real bed, their own shower, their own food and TV, and just their own everything which this place had to offer. Yes, this was actually perfect in it's own fucked up way.

Half an hour later, all papers signed, Naruto and Sasuke were on their way to the nearest Walmart to gather food and supplies before officially moving in in their very first apartment.

* * *

Itachi was in his dimly-lit living room, standing a foot away from the huge ceiling to floor windows, looking out into the night city. There was a glass of whiskey in his right hand, his hair was finally loose from its usual ponytail and he had long lost the burgundy tie which had been around his neck throughout the whole day he had been at work.

The view he had from there was one of the main reasons he had bought that apartment. The wide open spaces and expensive furniture being the other. The sight of the city and all its lights just brought a sense of calm to him. It never failed to help him clear his head when he needed it the most. There was just something about being in the confines of your home, safe and in peace, while the city bustled with activity below you. Even at night there were always people passing by each other on the sidewalks, cars illuminating the streets way below, lights from every building in sight, and even the sounds reached him when it was quiet enough.

But tonight, maybe for the first time, Itachi couldn’t enjoy the view as much as he had wished to. There was just too much going through his head. His mind was swirling with thoughts and what-ifs, hence the glass in his hand and the frown marring his usually stoic features.

He just couldn’t help but wonder, speculating on the past he had thought was long buried. That name he had heard today… it wasn’t a common one in the USA. It was Japanese, of course it would be rarely heard here, in New York. It didn’t make sense to him for it to be just a nickname either, because how does one come up with a nickname that is so foreign?

And even so, no matter how far-fetched that theory was, Nathan shouldn’t have apologized if it were just a nickname, neither would have Alex gotten so worried over it. It actually felt so wrong calling them Nathen and Alex now and Itachi had begun to doubt that these were their real names.

And if those indeed were fake names then… could it really be? Was it possible that this was the Sasuke he thought, and deep down actually hoped it was? The one he had lost so many years ago? The Sasuke that used to be his baby brother until that fateful day sixteen years ago?

It sounded way too much out of an old movie for it to be true but he had no other explanation for what he had heard. And it just wasn’t possible for him to have heard it wrong. Itachi was certain that it was Sasuke that Nathan had called the other. The fact that "Alex" bared such a resemblance to all the Uchihas and had features that was more or less common only within their gene-pool was also playing a huge role in Itachi’s speculations. The only exception so far had to be his eyes but contact lenses weren’t exactly hard to obtain nowadays. You can buy them almost everywhere so that was weak proof compared to everything else.

That only managed to raise another wave of questions though. If this really was Sasuke, his little brother, then why would he need contact lenses to hide his true eye-color?  Why would he even need a fake name? It was out of the question whether “Alex” knew his real name because “Nathan” had obviously called him by it. What had happened in those sixteen years if this really was his little brother, for him to need to hide his identity? And if so, hadn’t Sasuke made the connections between their last names, hadn’t he thought about what a coincidence it is to meet someone with features resembling yours, with a name that sounded like it was from your origins, with the same last name too, even with similar attitude time at a time…

Itachi sighed and dragged his hand though his long black strands of hair before taking a sip from his whiskey. He didn’t know what to think, what to make of all of the thoughts going through his head at the moment. He didn’t know if this was all just wishful thinking or if he was on the right path. He couldn’t be sure of anything right now except for the fact that he had to talk to these two first chance he got and see what he could manage to get out of them. It was way too much of a coincidence to be overlooked, farther more when he had realized what date it was. It was almost like Fate herself was giving him more proof that there was a strong possibility that this indeed was his long lost brother. That it was the same small boy Itachi had thought to be dead for so long.

A small sad smile tugged at Itachi’s lips before he drank the last of his whiskey from his glass and turned around from the magnificent view before him.

‘ _July 23 rd,_’ He thought as he placed his empty glass in the sink. ‘ _If it really is him then he’s turning eighteen today. Hardly a baby brother anymore,_ ’ He mused as he walked towards his bedroom, unbuttoning his shirt while he did so.

The Uchiha sat on his bed and looked at the nightstand where a picture was standing in an elegant frame. On the picture were him with his father and mother. And in his mother’s hands was a baby, a happy little boy with rosy cheeks who reaching his chubby hands towards Itachi’s hair with obvious laughter on his lips. Their mom was smiling warmly at the camera and their father, even if he had been more stoic, was obviously smiling too. A small and very proud smile that showed just how happy he had been at the time to have his family near him.

With one last sigh, Itachi got up to get rid of the rest of his clothing and made his way towards the bathroom to take a shower before going to bed.

That night the Uchiha had a lot of trouble falling asleep, and when he finally did manage to, his dreams were plagued by nightmares from that day so many years ago.

* * *

“Good job, team! We’ve narrowed it down to only six states. If we continue the same way, in a week or two we’ll have the mission complete,” Minato said with a smile after entering the work hall organized especially for their mission.

For barely two weeks this place had been turned into a small work and living area. The room was buzzing with the sounds of the keys on the keyboards being pressed and the humming of the computers, there were occasional banters and laughter, the sounds of someone eating or sipping from a cup, some were talking on the phones, receiving or giving information. It was always lively here from nine to nine and Minato couldn’t be more thankful for the hard work and fast progress their team was making.

“Okay, brats,” Tsunade clapped her hands to get the attention of everyone in the room although her voice was more than enough for that job. “Time to go home, get some rest, eat, sleep, get laid, or whatever you like to do in your spare time. We’ll continue tomorrow morning,” She said with a small smirk from beside Minato, enjoying the collective sigh from to occupants in the room after they heard that already well known speech which had turned into their signal for the end of the work day.

Tsunade had gotten here a week prior, right after Minato had called her to ask for her help on their mission. Seeing as she and Jiraya were the only agents so far who seemed to have met Naruto and Sasuke personally, Minato had preferred at least one of them there. They would know best what the teens' next move could possibly be although so far both of them insisted that Naruto and Sasuke were even more unpredictable than they had been and that was seriously saying something. But even so, Tsunade had been more than glad to leave Jiraya as the headmaster of the juvenile center for the time being. She had needed the rest and had also loved to meet up again with her favorite brats. They brought so many memories back to her. Memories from the days she and Jiraya had still been agents and these three had been training under them. Now they were one of the bests but go figure that their kids, without any official training whatsoever, would be able to escape them for so long.

The headmistress still regretted not being able to get them all to meet up while the two teens were still in her center. It was a pity really but Minato, Mikoto and Kushina had been away from the country and she had no way of contacting them because she was no longer working for the organization. At least not officially. And as fate would have it, the same week Tsunade had managed to reach her students and explain what happened, the two insolent brats had escaped the goddamn center. But anyway. This time she was certain that they would get them.

Tsunade smiled to herself as the people in the room gathered their bags and belongings, ready to call it a day and head out. It was a good team they had gathered. They all worked fast with few to no hitches, and overall, knew what they were doing. With that speed they’d be ready within the next week and Tsunade would lie if she said she wasn’t excited about Minato, Kushina and Mikoto finally getting to meet up again with Naruto and Sasuke, and then hopefully get to explain it all. If these two dared act like the brats she knew them to be, she’d have to interfere and beat some sense into them because she wouldn’t allow all that work and worrying to be thrown to the wind. She’ll get them back in the center if it meant they would listen to her and their parents. She didn’t wish for it to get to that point but it certainly wasn't something she wouldn't do for the sake of the greater good.

“We’ll be having dinner out tonight, want to come with us?” Minato asked as he walked out of the now empty hall and held the door for Tsunade. “Kushina and Mikoto are already waiting down in the parking lot,” He added.

“Sure. Your treat though,” She added with a smirk and walked out of the room, her heels clacking loudly on the marble floor below.

“Of course,” Minato rolled his eyes with a smile and then his shoulders sagged a little when he thought about the dent that would put in his pocket.

“Straighten up,” The blonde scolded him and slapped her hand on Minato’s back, effectively making him oblige.

“Geez, stop acting like I’m still your student,” He said and locked the hall before putting the keys in his pocket, all the while rubbing slightly the spot on his back where he could still feel Tsunade's slap.

“No matter how much time passes, you’ll always be my student,” She said with a small smile and her eyes softened. The image of the blond boy she had met so many years ago flashing before her eyes as she looked at the now strong man, father and husband in front of her. “Now let’s go, I need a drink,” She said and began walking towards the elevators.

“Of course you do,” Minato muttered under his breath in amusement before moving to follow the woman.

“What was that, brat?” She asked, throwing him a playful glare over her shoulder after which Minato immediately straightened up, grinned, and sheepishly began to scratch the back of his head.

“Oh, nothing,” He answered sweetly, his grin getting broader when he thought about how little had changed between them over the years. Tsunade was like a second mother to him. One that could beat you up into the next century and then patch up the wounds she had put on your body like the doctor she was, just because she cared so much.

“Hn, that’s what I thought,” She said with a smirk and continued down the long hallway.

* * *

This was perfect. The night was one of the best they’ve had ever since they escaped the center and it wasn’t even over yet.

Naruto and Sasuke were sitting on the small balcony connected to their bedroom, looking out into the night city and just savoring the moment for a short while. Every little detail was in place, everything was how it was supposed to be. The sky was clear and there were dozens of starts surrounding the almost full moon. They could see how the woman from the building across was hanging up her clothes on her own small balcony. Could see the small parking lot below and how some kids were kicking ball despite that it was already dark and they could probably barely see a foot in front of themselves. They could hear them bickering and laughing, a mom shouting to one of them from somewhere around the buildings, apparently telling her son to get home because dinner was ready. A dog was barking in the distance and they could also hear the cars passing by on the street not so far from where they were.

Yes, it was just perfect.

With a smile Naruto lifted the freshly open and still cold bottle of beer to his lips and took a gulp before placing it back on the window’s sill next to him. Sasuke was on his other side, his back resting on the window behind them. They had just eaten, using for the first time the dining table and the worn-out sofa in the living room. Their fridge was as full as it could get and they could hear the low hum of the washing machine as it washed their clothes. They were clean themselves too, having taken a shower each after spending three hours of cleaning the place entirely. Now the windows were crystal clear, the hardwood and tiles were as good as new, the counter and cupboards were all arranged and filled and there were clean sheets on the bed. Every window was open, letting fresh air in the small apartment while they finally sat down to admire their accomplishment.

“Want a cigarette?” Naruto asked with a grin, referring to the description he had given Sasuke two weeks ago about how perfect it would be to be just sitting on a small balcony of a cramped apartment with a beer and a smoke, joking and laughing.

“Hn, sure,” The Uchiha answered with a smirk, immediately catching up on the reference. It was nice. To know that they were somewhere where they could actually call a ‘home’ was one of their dreams ever since they were fourteen and had started living on the streets. No matter how sad it sounded to be dreaming of a simple, even kinda rundown home, it was the truth. So, very literally, what they had tonight was a dream come true.

Naruto put a cigarette between his lips and offered the pack to Sasuke who took a smoke for himself and waited for Naruto to light it. A moment later they were both exhaling the first lungful of smoke their cigarettes had to offer.

“You think we gonna see some ghosts tonight?” Naruto asked jokingly with a smirk, making Sasuke snort at the notion.

“We’ve seen worse,” Sasuke answered, looking amused as he took another drag. “No way am I going back to sleeping in the pickup because of someone who died some time ago,” He said and heard the blond snort from beside him.

“Well, cheers then,” Naruto said and lifted his bottle. “To our first salaries, to our first apartment, and also, happy birthday,” He smiled at the end.

With a shake of his and a smile on his lips, Sasuke lifted his bottle to touch it with Naruto’s before they both took a sip from their drinks.

“So you haven’t forgotten, huh?” He asked with a smirk after he put down his beer.

“Are you kidding me?” Naruto exclaimed, although he was still smiling. “What kind of a shitty best friend and boyfriend would I be if I forgot about you birthday?” He asked, bumping his thigh in Sasuke’s before lifting the cigarette to his lips again.

“Could have fooled me,” Sasuke said with a smirk. “Come on, admit it, you just remembered.” He sent his boyfriend a pointed look, daring him to deny it.

“No, shut up! It was just that we had work in the morning and then had to rush so not to be late for this,” He gestured around himself. “Then we had to clean this whole place and I wanted us to be completely free when I finally gave you your present,” Naruto said before leaning back on the window himself and taking a sip from his beer, not looking at Sasuke, probably waiting for him to ask about that present he had just mentioned.

“Present, huh?” Sasuke asked, the beginning of a perverted smile breaking on his lips as he pulled up an eyebrow. “And what is this present you have for me?”

“What?  You mean my presence isn’t enough?” Naruto asked, acting offended for a total of three seconds before he snorted in amusement and threw a smirk in the Uchiha's way, making him chuckle.

“Then I’d have to ask you for the recipe,” He said in all seriousness although his eyes stayed lit with humor.

“Wow, you’re making me wonder if I really should give you your present.” Naruto said with a shake of his head and then sighed. “But never mind, I guess I’m already used to your attitude. Wait here.” The blond instructed and then got up from his seat. He took one last drag from his smoke, threw the butt out of the balcony and then walked inside their bedroom.

Sasuke could hear some shuffling from the room and had to fight with himself not to lean over and peek inside. It was only his Uchiha pride which kept him in place and the cigarette between his fingers to keep him occupied although the latter burned out quickly and he had to throw it away.

Thankfully Naruto reappeared very quickly with his hands behind his back. He took his previous seat and looked at Sasuke, happiness radiating from every fiber of his body, most of all from the grin on his face.

When the raven only raised his eyebrow at him yet again, Naruto had to roll his eyes. Then he leaned forward and planted his lips on Sasuke’s, using one hand to bury it in the still somewhat damp strands of black hair on the back of his boyfriend's head.

For a while they just kissed, the kiss going deeper at times when teeth would nibble and tongues would fight and Sasuke had to wonder if this was his present. Not like he was complaining, far from it, although if it was, Naruto wouldn’t have needed to go back inside, right?

At the same time the thought passed through his mind, he felt the weight of a small bag in his lap and Naruto broke away from the kiss with a loud smack of lips then pecked Sasuke’s nose lovingly before finally pulling away.

“Happy birthday,” He repeated with a smile, sounding a little out of breath.

“You didn’t have to,” Sasuke said with a shake of his head, a smile tugging at his lips as he looked between the present in his lap and Naruto.

“I wanted to,” The blond countered and nodded his head towards the bag. “Open it,” He said with a smile, excitement obvious in his eyes.

Sasuke leaned forward to plant a chaste kiss on the blond's mouth instead of saying thanks and then, licking his lips, slowly opened the bag, putting one hand in to pull out its contents.

The first thing he got out from there was a card with his photo and fake names on it. Turning it around he realized it was a card for the library.

“I saw you the other day. How utterly in awe you were by all those books and so I figured you would appreciate it. I know how you can hardly go for long without a read so…” Naruto said with a shrug. “But there’s more.” He added and his grin returned full force.

Biting his bottom lip, Sasuke pulled out the other item that had been in the bag. It was a small, dark blue box, one of those in which they put the jewelry in the shops. Sasuke turned to give Naruto a strange look and the blond couldn’t help but laugh out at the deer in the headlights look the Uchiha was giving him right then.

“I’m not asking you to marry me, you jerk!” Naruto laughed, hitting Sasuke’s shoulder lightly for even thinking about it. “If I did, I wouldn’t make you open the box yourself and it certainly wouldn’t be on a shitty balcony with a beer in my other hand." When Sasuke continue to look at him warily the blond had to roll his eyes, hitting the Uchiha on the shoulder again in the process. "Just open the box.” He sighed, chuckling quietly at the look of suspicion he was receiving right then.

Looking at the velvety box in his hand, Sasuke reached for the lid and opened it. In there, on the small ash-gray colored pillow, laid a pendant in the form of a fan. The bottom half of it was white while the top was red. Sasuke lifted it and realized it was hanging on a silver chain, long enough so that when he put it around his neck, the pendant would be hidden just under the collar of his shirt.

“What does it mean?” He asked as he watched the pendant spin and the silver chain shine underneath the moonlight.

“Actually, it’s the Uchiha crest,” Naruto said slowly and saw Sasuke’s eye widen at the revelation. “I saw it in a shop and it immediately grabbed my attention. When I asked the cashier about it he explained that it is an ancient crest of a Japanese clan called the Uchiha who used to be one of the major yakuza factions in Japan. He explained that now they were divided in two. Those who follow the ‘old’ ways and those who don’t wish to continue working for the underground world, who want to make a living for themselves in an honest and legal way.” The blond explained as he stared intently at the small crest still hanging from Sasuke's hands. “I couldn’t just leave it there for someone random to buy. I felt like it somehow belonged to you. Further more when we just abandoned the life of criminals to start a new, honest life. So yeah, I couldn't just leave it there. I would have actually felt bad if I hadn’t bought it and it wasn't because of today that I did so. Your birthday was near and it just gave me an occasion on which I could give it to you.” He added with a small smile.

“That’s amazing,” Sasuke muttered and then unclasped the fastening of the chain. “I never thought that there was much history behind my name, nor that there could still be a whole clan of Uchihas back in Japan,” He said as he put the chain around his neck. “Thank you,” He told Naruto sincerely, looking him straight in the eyes before he leaned in to kiss him and the blond couldn't not smile into the kiss. There was just something very endearing in the earnest look in the midnight eyes.

“No problem,” He told him when they broke apart and then took his bottle to take a sip while Sasuke had once again grabbed the pendent, laying it on his palm and inspecting it, a strange look passing over his face as he did so.

He couldn’t help but remember what Naruto had tried to imply to him a couple of weeks ago, right after they had first met Itachi. _“I can’t believe how much he actually looks like you_. _A_ _nd if the dark eyes, black hair, pale skin thing isn’t enough for you, you both even pull your left eyebrows up!... Come on, even your last names are the same. …I’m just saying that it’s a pretty fucked up coincidence because we’re in America, not Japan,”_

Sasuke had blatantly dismissed the notion at the time because it had honestly seemed more than ridiculous. But now… he wasn’t so sure. Maybe he and Itachi really were some kind of distant relatives.

“Although there’s still more to my present,” Naruto added, successfully grabbing the Uchiha’s attention with that before he turned around to take the pack of cigarettes again, thankful for the darkness around them so that his subtle blush would be hopefully left unnoticed.

“Oh?” Sasuke asked and smirked, once again lifting a brow as he watched how it was suddenly very hard for his boyfriend to get the lighter to work. “And what more could you possibly have for me?” He asked even though he had a very clear idea of what it could be if Naruto’s sudden nervousness was anything to go by.

“Well, for that one you’ll have to wait just a little bit longer,” The blond said and exhaled the smoke, sending the raven a mischievous look and Sasuke couldn’t help but lick his suddenly very dry lips.

“But you said it’s a part of my birthday present and my birthday would last for only two more hours,” He said, leaning in closer to the blond who just hummed.

“Don’t worry your pretty, duck-butt head, I just want to finish my cigarette,” Naruto said, his voice and face the epitome of innocence although his eyes never lost that sparkle of mischief. He was obviously enjoying far too much making the raven wait for what he was sure would happen tonight.

“If you think you can wait that long,” Sasuke said conversationally, sounding like he had just sent a challenge Naruto's way. The hand that found its way to the blond’s knee and started to slowly slide upwards was certainly proof that Naruto had been just challenged.

Trying to ignore the heat that pooled into his groin, Naruto brought the cigarette to his lips again and hoped to god the slight shaking of his hand had gone unnoticed.

But even if Sasuke hadn’t seen his hand shaking, he definitely saw and felt the way the blond’s legs had shifted wider apart as he leaned in closer, his face inches away from the blond’s neck.

“Hmm, how long until you finish that cigarette, Naruto?” Sasuke asked, practically purring every syllable from the blond's name as his voice had dropped an octave. Naruto could feel the other’s warm breath ghosting over his neck right before Sasuke bit down on the sensitive skin he found there, making his boyfriend shudder from the sensation.

“Just,” Naruto’s voice broke and he had to clear his throat before continuing as Sasuke smirked into his skin. “Just a couple more drags left,” He said, attempting to sound unbothered and knowing he had failed royally.

“How much?” The Uchiha murmured against his tan skin before licking a trial from his ear, down his neck, and stopping to nibble at his collarbone while his hand moved to palm the bulge that had formed in Naruto’s pants.

“Oh, fuck it,” Naruto muttered suddenly and, taking one last drag, he threw the unfinished cigarette out of the balcony. Then he turned to Sasuke and grabbed the sides of his head with both hands, immediately smashing their lips together. The hand on his groin never ceased it’s teasing, slowly driving the blond crazy and before he knew it, he was moaning in the raven’s mouth.

Without breaking the kiss, Sasuke got to his feet and moved his hand up, sliding it across Naruto’s torso to grab the back of his neck and drag him up to his feet too.

“How about we get inside?” He murmured against Naruto’s lips, nuzzling the blond’s cheek with his nose and nibbling slightly on his jaw while waiting for an answer which he receiver in the form of a rushed nod before their lips were once again connected.

Before he knew it, Naruto began to step backwards, forcing Sasuke to move forward with him. A minute later the back of the blond’s legs hit the bed and he sat down, finally breaking the kiss which had continued throughout the whole walk from the balcony to where they were now.

“You know,” Sasuke said as he put his knee next to Naruto’s thigh. “This might turn out to be the best birthday I’ve had so far.” He finished as he straddled the blond completely, his hands resting on his shoulders as he sat on his lap.

“Yeah?” Naruto asked, a genuine smile on his lips as his blue eyes roamed Sasuke’s face as if trying to remember every detail of it underneath the silver rays of moonlight. One of his hands reached up to tuck an inky strand of hair behind Sasuke’s ear and the Uchiha nodded before leaning down to kiss Naruto again.

The blond met him halfway there but this time there was no hunger in the kiss. It was slow, as if they were both trying to just savor the feeling of the other’s mouth on theirs instead of fighting for dominance. That didn’t last for long though. Very soon their usual fighting and need to always best the other had returned and they were once again kissing like there would be no tomorrow. Naruto’s hands had slid down from Sasuke’s back to his ass, squeezing it time at a time, hungrily swallowing the sounds the raven made.

But Sasuke wasn’t one to be dominated easily and soon he grabbed Naruto’s shoulders and forced him to lie on his back, following him down, happy to be once again in full control of the situation. He grabbed Naruto’s wrists and moved them above the blond’s head to restrain him. He gave him a sly smirk before diving down for his neck where he began to lavar the skin with kisses, nips and licks, making Naruto moan while leaving a couple of hickeys behind to show the world that this human was only his. He let one of his hands move dawn the body beneath him until he could push it underneath the blond’s shirt. The hot, tan skin contrasted with his cold hand and Sasuke heard Naruto hiss at the temperature.

Then, without any warning, the Uchiha ground down his hips, feeling Naruto’s bulge underneath his and enjoying the moans that the movement forced out of the blond’s throat.

Apparently having enough of being submissive, Naruto growled and managed to free his wrists before rolling them around so he was the one on top again.

“It’s your birthday so I’d be the one doing all the work,” He said in Sasuke’s ear and then bit down on his earlobe, sliding one of his hands to cup Sasuke’s erection, happy to hear his boyfriend moan and feel him subconsciously lift his thighs higher, rubbing them up and down Naruto’s sides in appreciation.

“You got it, ngh, wrong,” Sasuke said and pushed himself up on his elbows. “You offered yourself as my birthday present and I get to do whatever I want with my presents,” Sasuke said with a smirk, and before Naruto could react, he was once again on his back.

He stared up at Sasuke and shook his head, his wrists again caught, this time each one pinned on either side of his head.

“I figured you’d say something like that,” He said with a smirk. “Well, at least I tried,” He shrugged as much as he could, his eyes half-lidded with lust as he stared up at his boyfriend. “I’m all yours,” He said slowly in a low voice and watched as something dark and possessive passed through Sasuke’s eyes at the words.

After hearing that Sasuke felt himself get harder than he had ever been before. He didn’t waste any more time before diving down, plunging his tongue deep in Naruto’s mouth right away, tasting the beer and cigarettes from earlier in the other’s mouth and also something that was indescribable, solely Naruto. Something terrifyingly, but also so pleasantly addictive which only made Sasuke want to taste more, to touch more, to mark the blond beneath him as only his, to possess him in any way possible, inside and out. He wanted to leave and imprint on Naruto’s soul if that was possible although he guessed that he had done that already a very long time ago.

Sasuke moved his hands down the blond’s body, freeing his wrists and allowing the tan fingers to bury themselves in his dark locks while the Uchiha pushed the other’s shirt up, exposing the tan abdomen and chest. He immediately latched his lips to a dusty nipple, feeling it harden in his mouth before he bit down on it. He probably expected the blond to try to push him away or growl at him for being too rough because the raven was surprised when Naruto actually arched under his touch and a loud moan escaped his mouth while his thighs moved further up Sasuke’s sides.

With a lazy smirk at the revelation, Sasuke moved his mouth to the other nipple to give it the same attention while his right hand shifted to Naruto’s groin, giving the blond’s cock a couple of pumps through his jeans before popping the button open and ever so slowly dragging the zipper down. The raven straightened slightly to have a better look at Naruto’s face as he dragged his blunt nails over the underside of Naruto’s cock through the red briefs he was wearing.

“You know,” Naruto began to say through pants. “I feel so pathetic for letting you do all the work,” He finished with a sly smirk and propped himself up on one elbow and then he reached his other hand to drag Sasuke’s face down to his own. “And I want to try something with you that I’ve wanted to do for a long while now,” The blond whispered in his ear before licking the shell of it, feeling the other’s body shudder above him from the action.

“And what might that be?” Sasuke asked, biting on Naruto’s bottom lip and pulling on it slightly before kissing it and moving to place a kiss on the underside of his jaw.

“Remember what you did to me in the car the day we got hired?” Naruto asked and smirked when Sasuke suddenly stopped what he was doing and looked up at him, his eyes widening for a brief moment before they were once again hooded with lust, a dark smirk finding its way to the raven’s lips. It would be a lie if he said he hadn’t thought about Naruto returning the favor at some point and he was definitely happy it was finally about to happen, further more when he saw that the blond really wanted to do it and wasn’t saying it just because he felt he had to return the gesture.

“You have no idea for how long I’ve wanted you to say something like that,” Sasuke muttered, licking Naruto’s neck slolwy.

“Yeah? Why didn’t you ask, then?” He asked, burying a hand in the dark locks once again and then moaning as the hand returned to his still covered erection.

“I couldn’t. You haven’t done anything like that before and if I had asked, you probably would have felt obliged to do it but I wanted you to want it yourself,” Sasuke explained, lifting his head to look at Naruto and then leaning down to kiss him slowly, as if thanking him.

The blond moved his hands to place them on both of Sasuke’s shoulder until he had turned them over once again and pushed Sasuke to lie down.

“I want you on your back,” He whispered against Sasuke’s lips before pushing up his shirt and completely pulling it off of the raven so he could latch his mouth on the pale neck. Only the pendant he had given him tonight was left glinting on the Uchiha’s chest. Naruto wasn’t the only one who’d be sporting bite marks at work tomorrow.

Naruto took his sweet time, slowly moving down the pale chest, leaving a path of fire down Sasuke’s skin and a trail of hickeys to show for it too. Reaching his navel, he dipped his tongue in Sasuke’s belly button and then licked around it before beginning to unbitten the black jeans that did little to hide the straining erection underneath.

The blond dipped his fingers in the jeans as he looked up at Sasuke, a strange glint dancing in his blue eyes which made goosebumps rise on Sasuke's skin. With a small smirk the raven lifted his hips off the bed, helping his boyfriend slide his jeans down his legs. Then, not once breaking eye contact, Naruto licked from base to tip Sasuke’s cock which was still concealed by his briefs. The Uchiha could feel himself leak profusely at the action. He was tempted to let his head fall back on the pillows because of the pleasure coursing through his body but he also didn’t want to miss a second of what was about to happen.

Still not pulling Sasuke's underwear down, Naruto closed his lips around the head of his cock and sucked through the fabric, smirking in triumph when he felt it twitch against his tongue and was more than happy with the wet spot which had formed there. Then he grabbed the edge of the briefs with his teeth and looked Sasuke straight in the eye again as he began to tug down the last piece of clothing separating him from his goal.

This time the Uchiha couldn’t help himself and he let out the loudest of moans yet, his head falling back and his eyes screwing shut. He felt the hot, wet puffs of air above his shaft and once again lifted his head to look at Naruto, feeling frustrated and at the same time excited to no end about what was going to happen.

But he was once again surprised because instead of taking his cock into his mouth, Naruto had moved just a little bit lower and had sucked into his mouth one of Sasuke’s balls, tugging on it just barely before letting it out and licking a very slow trail up the engorged shaft until he reached the angry red head and could push the tip of his tongue in the slit there. Sasuke thrust his hips up slightly, not able to control himself any longer and felt two strong hands gripping his hips to still his movements. Naruto was straight out teasing him at this point and it was almost embarrassing how close to the edge he felt just from that. 

“Fuck, Naruto,” Sasuke groaned and felt himself twitch again against his boyfriend’s tongue when the blond locked eyes with him, sending him a sultry look while slowly circling his tongue around the edge of Sasuke's cockhead.

“We’re getting there,” The blond answered slowly against the erection, sending vibrations through it. His words sounded more like a promise to the Uchiha and he had to bite down on his lips. Then, finally, Naruto closed his lips around Sasuke, pressing his tongue on the vein running on the underside of his cock and giving the head a hard suck, enjoying the moan Sasuke let out.

The raven had to wonder if this really was Naruto’s first time giving head because he felt like it was impossible to be so damn good at it after only receiving it once. But he had no more time to wonder because next thing he knew, he had sank even deeper in the wet, hot cavern that was his boyfriend’s mouth and all thoughts were erased from Sasuke’s mind. All that he could do was put a hand in the soft, blond locks bobbing up and down between his leg. If Naruto continued to so literally blow his mind away, Sasuke would finish embarrassingly early.

Then, as if trying to prove to Sasuke that this was only the beginning, Naruto managed to take in all of the Uchiha's cock, deep-throating him in one go. It was baffling how well he had managed to suppress his gag reflex, and even more so when it was a fact that this was the blond's first time giving a blow job. But Sasuke didn't have any more brain power to be baffled once his cock hit the back of Naruto's mouth. With a loud groan he involuntarily thrust his hips up, driving himself even deeper down his lover's throat. The groan that the blond tried to let out only made the Uchiha moan louder. 

Naruto then suddenly pulled away and Sasuke felt like he had taken a breath for the first time that night although he still send the blond a weak glare for stopping.

“I want to go all the way tonight,” Naruto said quietly, licking around the head of Sasuke’s cock before once again taking him in his mouth and giving his erection a hard suck.

It was only seconds later when Sasuke felt heat pool in his lower belly and his balls tighten. The words he had just heard were working him up just as much as the skillful mouth around him. The only warning he managed to give Naruto was the way his fist tightened around the blond hair but it was enough. Naruto knew what was coming and gave Sasuke one last, hard suck, before he felt the cock in his mouth swell and cum start to spurt out of it. The raven began to thrust shallowly, riding out his orgasm and Naruto didn’t mind, he just continued to suck until he had milked every last drop of Sasuke.

He finally pulled away, feeling his own cock twitch at the sight of Sasuke lying spent and breathing heavily on the bed. The dark eyes found his and before the blond knew it, his boyfriend had pulled him up for a messy kiss.

Something dark and dangerous swirled in Sasuke’s chest as he tasted himself on Naruto’s tongue. Something that was close to pride for having marker the blond on the inside so literally, something that had come from the knowledge that Naruto had actually swallowed him. His essence.

“Are you sure that’s the first time you’ve given a blowjob?” Sasuke asked him through the kiss.

“Yeah,” Naruto chuckled and while the kiss progressed, the blond reached his hand to one of the nightstands and opened the drawer there, pulling out a condom and a tube of lube which he threw on the bed beside them.

“Do you want to prepare me or should I do that myself too?” Naruto asked with a smirk, nipping at Sasuke’s ear teasingly. The raven just snorted and sat up.

“Don’t forget that I’m in charge tonight,” He said, something akin to a warning in his voice which only made Naruto all the more excited.

“Not even for a second,” The blond answered with a smirk and Sasuke rolled them again so Naruto was lying beneath him. " _Just like it should be."_ He thought possessively while admiring the body laying underneath him. The raven glared at the underwear still covering the blond and within a second he got rid of it, completely exposing Naruto for only him to see.

“Are you really sure about this?” The Uchiha then asked in all seriousness and noted there was not an ounce of hesitation in the blond’s eyes as he nodded his head. “I’m not gonna get pissed at you or anything, I just want to know you’re not doing it just because you think you should.” He told him, giving his boyfriend one last chance to bail but Naruto didn’t seem relieved by the escape route he was given, just annoyed.

“Sasuke, I really want to do it,” Naruto told him, looking up at him with determination written all over his face. “Now stop worrying and get on with it,” He told him with a smirk, lifting his chin up in a challenge towards his lover.

“Okay,” Sasuke nodded and then smiled slyly. “I see you come prepared anyway,” He said, nodding his head towards the items beside Naruto’s head and then lowering himself between the blond’s legs while one of his hands slid from his ankle, up to his knee and down his thigh until it was squeezing lightly one of his ass cheeks.

“I might be reckless but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid,” Naruto said.

“When did you buy them?” Sasuke asked as he got ahold of the small tube.

“When you let me handle the bill earlier,” The blond grinned and with a shake of his head, Sasuke leaned down to kiss him.

“I should let you cover the bill more often then,” He muttered against his lips. He dragged his mouth over the tan neck and wrapped one hand around Naruto's waist, dragging him closer while his other hand was working to open the bottle.

Naruto’s heart skipped a beat when he heard the cap pop open and then suddenly the hand around him was gone. He watched as the raven poured some of the clear liquid on his fingers and Naruto knew what was coming. He might be a virgin but he wasn’t clueless. A mixture of nervousness and excitement washed through his body when the raven put his clean hand on Naruto’s knee and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

“Spread your legs for me,” He murmured in the blond’s ear in clear command and Naruto obliged immediately, feeling embarrassed and not because he was so exposed to Sasuke’s eyes but mostly because he was acting so submissive and eager about it.

The hand on his knee moved to wrap around his cock and Sasuke used his thumb to smear the precum which had gathered there, distracting the blond from the feeling of his lubed fingers circling the tight ring of muscles below. At the same time Naruto moaned, the raven pushed in half of his index finger and saw his boyfriend frown, immediately tightening around the digit before relaxing again.

It felt strange, that was all Naruto could say about it at the moment. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, but he had definitely felt better things.

The raven started pumping Naruto while simultaneously pushing in and out that single finger until he could slide it in and out the blond's body with little to no resistance. He was watching for any signs of discomfort but so far there weren’t any. So, lowering himself above Naruto, Sasuke started to suck on his neck before pushing in a second finger. The blond groaned at first and Sasuke noticed him biting his lower lip at the discomfort.

“Fuck,” Naruto muttered, the sheets were fisted in his hands because of the stinging and it was what? Only two fingers? How was he going to take all of Sasuke when he couldn’t handle just two of his fingers?

“Relax,” His lover muttered against the tan skin and started moving the hand around Naruto’s cock faster, hoping to distract him. He heard Naruto take a deep breath and then, while he exhaled, the raven felt him loosen up around his fingers ever so slightly. Sasuke moved down Naruto’s chest and to his stomach while at the same time moving his fingers inside the blond. Then, reaching the erection which was still standing proudly between the tan legs, the raven took the head of it in his mouth at the same time he spread his fingers, beginning to scissor the blond to be able to loosen him further.

Naruto moaned, partly at the discomfort and mostly from the pleasure. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to move away from the intrusion or thrust up in that heavenly mouth. Finally though, the latter won and he tried to move his hips up in Sasuke’s mouth but instead of actually thrusting, he suddenly went rigid, his back arching arching off the bed entirely and then Sasuke heard the loudest moan to come from Naruto yet. The Uchiha got almost fully hard after hearing that and couldn't help but smirk around the shaft in his mouth as he realized what had most probably just happened. He then proceeded to rub his fingers against that spot, enjoying how the blond twitched in his mouth while a strong shudder passed through his body. He lifted his mouth from the blond’s cock with a loud slurping noise to look at him, obviously very pleased with himself.

“I wonder what that was, hmm?” He said against the throbbing dick next to his lips and licked it while continuing to massage Naruto’s prostate.

“If y-you don’t st-stop, I’ll cum,” Naruto said while breathing heavily. His head was thrown back on the bed and his back almost never touched the sheets below anymore. Gone was any discomfort from the intrusion and he was almost pushed over the edge. Almost. Because his sadist of a boyfriend moved his finger away from that spot and now the blond was regretting telling Sasuke to stop because he was yet to cum tonight and he was so very frustrated at the moment.

But before he could complain, a third finger was pushed in him and he moaned as the raven once again took him in his mouth, almost deep throating him this time. Two shallow thrust of those fingers later, Sasuke felt the blond tighten around them and that was all the warning he got before Naruto came in his mouth with a loud shout of his name.

When Naruto stopped cumming Sasuke pulled his fingers out and straightened up to look at the blond. He was laying in a nest of crumpled sheets, a blush was covering his whole body. His mouth was open as he breathed heavily and his legs were lewdly spread, leaving nothing to the imagination. Sasuke gaze slid to Naruto’s entrance and it twitched when the blond felt his gaze on it. That whole sight almost had Sasuke cumming on the spot and he had to bite down on his lower lip so not to embarrass himself. He then grabbed for the condom lying on the bed beside Naruto’s head and ripped it open with his teeth, enjoying how Naruto’s hungry gaze was practically devouring him at the moment and how it followed every movement of his hands as they rolled the condom over his impossibly hard erection. The Uchiha was almost surprised to see Naruto’s cock twitch back to life not even a minute after he had come and just because of the sight of Sasuke slicking himself with the excess lube on his hand. That alone was enough to drive Sasuke crazy with desire.

The Uchiha looked Naruto in the eye as he grabbed his legs and roughly spread them further apart so he could position himself between them until the head of his cock was barely touching the blond’s now prepared entrance. Then he slid one hand to Naruto's slowly reawakening shaft and gave it a couple of pumos, helping it rise again before using that same hand to grab his cock and guide it in the blond. Ever so slowly, Sasuke began to push in.

Naruto realized that the three fingers from earlier were nothing in comparison to the girth of Sasuke’s dick. He had to constantly remind himself to continue breathing, to relax, but fuck, it hurt. He was being spread and filled so much and also for the first time in his life. All that considered, he thought he was actually doing better than expected.

It felt like forever before Sasuke was fully settled in. His arms were now braced on either side of Naruto's head and he felt them begin to shake from how hard he was trying to stand still and let Naruto adjust. He let out a breath he hadn’t even known he was holding and looked at the blond’s face to find it scrunched up in pain.

Careful not to move his lower half much, Sasuke lowered his face to the blond’s and kissed him. At first Naruto didn’t respond but soon he put one hand in Sasuke’s hair and threw his other over his shoulders, eagerly kissing him back while still allowing the Uchiha to dominate the kiss. He realized he had begun to relax and moved his mouth away from Sasuke’s so he could speak.

“Move,” He grunted out. Sasuke, still covering every reachable inch of Naruto’s skin with nips and kissed, gave a small experimental thrust after which the blond immediately arched slightly, shifting his hips a little and making Sasuke moan because of the motion.

It took them some time to get used to the tight feeling but soon they found their pace. Sasuke's thrusts were faster and he was going out almost fully before sliding in again to the hilt. He noticed that what was once a frown caused by discomfort on his lover’s face, was now one from pleasure and soon Naruto had begun to participate more, meeting Sasuke’s thrusts halfway and forcing to go deeper every time.

The room was filled with the sounds of their moans and harsh breathing, the slaps of pale hips on Naruto’s ass combined with the creaking of the bed beneath them. Sasuke had moved to grab Naruto’s knees so he could place them on his shoulders as he continued to move in and out of that deliciously tight heat, angling every thrust differently so he could find that one spot again. When he finally managed to hit Naruto’s prostate head on, the walls around him tightened, making Sasuke grunt at the feeling. He continued to aim in that place, lavishing in the moans it brought out of Naruto and how he had gotten almost unbearably tight.

“Yes, right there,” The blond moaned, meeting halfway every thrust of Sasuke’s. “Fuck, don’t stop,” He said, pleaded, and that only urged Sasuke to go faster, to hit that spot harder. to drive in deeper.

“I wasn’t planning to,” Sasuke answered between pants and bit down hard on Naruto’s neck before pulling out until only the head of his cock was in and then slamming ruthlessly back in the body beneath him, once again amazed at how well Naruto was responding to the pain. Instead of trying to get away from it, the blond was actually welcoming it.

Naruto slid his legs from Sasuke’s shoulders and grabbed his neck, bringing him down for a heated kiss. The Uchiha held onto the blond’s face as his movements slowed down somewhat and while he pulled out slowly, he slammed back in with enough force to make Naruto see stars, swallowing the moans that escaped from the blond’s mouth every time.

At one point Naruto locked his ankles behind Sasuke’s back, holding him inside for a second and tightening himself around the raven’s cock as much as he could.

“Fuck, you’re so tight,” Sasuke grunted, biting down on his lips. “I’m glad I’m your first though.” He then added and bit Naruto’s earlobe.

“One day,” Naruto began and rotated his hips, loving the sound of Sasuke's moans in his ear and how his head fall on Naruto’s shoulder from the pleasure. “I’m going to take your virginity just like you’re so brutally taking mine.” The blond finished with a smirk. “Now fuck me like you mean it,” He said and then moaned when Sasuke obliged immediately, moving to lock their lips again as he drove in Naruto even harder than before.

Just a minute later, after one particularly hard hit at Naruto’s prostate, Sasuke felt the walls tighten impossibly around him, halting all of his movements for a second. And in that second it felt like there was only them existing in this world, like it was only their joined bodies and the pleasure it caused that mattered. And in that second of complete stillness and silence, Naruto uttered the words which immediately pushed Sasuke over the edge.

“I love you,” He said as he began to cum and the raven could only moan out Naruto’s name as his own orgasm overtook him. He rode it out until he was done and then collapsing beside the blond, barely moving his body to the side so he wouldn't crush the one beneath him.

The only sound was that of their breathing as they lay unmoved on the bed, exhausted, pleasantly sore and still feeling hazy from their orgasms.

They just laid there for a while, Sasuke looking at Naruto while the blond stared at the ceiling. His mouth was open as he breathed harshly, his chest rising and falling and his eyes were closed for a moment before he sighed. Sasuke studied the other’s face, wondering if the blond had said those words in the heat of the moment or if he really meant them. He felt something around his heart tighten and just knew it wasn’t possible for Naruto to not mean them. He always talked first before thinking which actually made that declaration all the more endearing.

Sasuke moved his hand up and placed it on the other’s cheek, making the blond turn to look at him and before Naruto had the time to say anything, Sasuke kissed him. Slowly, passionately, trying to convey all of what he was feeling through that one kiss.

“I love you too,” He muttered against Naruto’s lips and just held them there, above the other’s mouth, just to feel him close. He felt the intake of breath his words caused and then the relieved sigh. He almost smiled when he realized that Naruto was probably worried he had screwed up by saying what he had. But Sasuke didn’t want him to regret his words. Not in the least. He was actually thankful to the blond for saying them first because he wasn’t sure he could have gotten them out himself even if he knew he felt them.

Sasuke finally slid out of the blond and noticed him frown for a second at the sensation. He leaned down to place a kiss between the blond brows to dispel the frown he had caused.

“Sorry,” He muttered and took off the condom, tied it at the top and threw it on the floor, not in the mood to get up right now. Instead of saying anything, Naruto just turned to his side, threw one leg over Sasuke’s and placed his hand around his waist, shifting closer to the other until his forehead was pressed to the pale, still damp from sweat chest. He could feel the steady heartbeat underneath which always managed to calm him, lulling him to sleep.

Sasuke used his free hand to cover them with the thin blanket lying folded near them and then placed his palm on Naruto’s back, rubbing it in slow circles.

“Good night,” Naruto muttered against his chest and Sasuke could feel the smile on the other’s lips as his consciousness began to fade away, giving way to sleep.

“Good night, Naruto,” He murmured in the blond locks of hair before placing a kiss on the top of Naruto’s head and then closing his eyes, letting sleep finally overpower him too.

 

* * *

 **A/N** : There we go. Hopefully this is the last time I am writing this chapter lol.   
It took me 16 chapter to make these two finally have real sex. Although I guess that was to be expected, right? I told you, guys, that its going to be a slow burn so no surprises here I hope. And oh my god?!?! How more cliche could I get? Saying their first "I love you"s at the peak of their orgasms? Like, does that even happen in real life or am I just a nerd?   
Yeah, I know, I'm a nerd.

This time I won't even try to promise you that the next chapter will be on time. I'm currently down with the flu while also preparing for the entry exams of various of universities around my country. Next couple of weeks will be hella stressful for me so I don't think that I'll be able to update on time. (Not like that one was on time but whatever lol)  
Leave me a review with your thoughts and opinions and also wish me good luck because my first important exam is in three weeks! Yikes! 

 


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